Princess of Dragons
by IfWeDieAtTheSameTime
Summary: He saved her from the people she thought she could trust; she made him feel almost human again. Two different worlds, two different fates brought together. A/U
1. Chapter 1

**Oh, hi guys. What is this I have here? Might this be the first chapter? Yes, yes it really is. **

**I'm actually very excited to write this story, and it's going so much better than I ever thought. I'm glad you all have encouraged me to keep this idea going! **

**Please, enjoy the beginning of my poor Natsu's journey!**

* * *

_"Father, please. Where are we going?" The little boy struggled to keep up, despite the fact that he was being dragged by his arm. His father kept a tight grasp, almost bruising, as he led them up the mountain path that lay behind their town. The boy's feet stumbled once more, but, just as he did all the other times, his father ignored him._

_He and his father had done this before; leaving before dawn, with packs on their back full of survival supplies, sleeping mats and meager snacks, they would travel to the next town on foot to trade, or into the forest to gather meat. It didn't matter that he had only seen six harvests pass, he was treated as if he were an integral part to his father's survival: learning to track, hunt, skin and cook. Learning how to navigate, which berries were poisonous, which trees had healing properties in their bark and leaves. All because of the man in front of him._

_However, this was not like one of those times. He had his pack strapped across shoulders, his only pair of good shoes on his feet. His warm leather-lined jacket was wrapped around him, and his meager stocking cap was secured on top of his pink locks._

_His father, he had nothing but his cotton smock and scarf._

_The boy could do nothing but continue to be dragged up the path, noticing that this was not the way they usually went. He wasn't sure where they were now, but he had faith in his father. This continued for about another hour, until finally, his arm was released._

_The boy sighed, dropping down to rest the legs that were being worked past exhaustion. He might be a seasoned farm worker, hiker and hunter, but he was still a young boy, and his father had set an unbearable pace._

_"Natsu." The boy raised his small head to see his father still had his back to him. "Do you remember what happened today?"_

_The boy lowered his eyes, focusing on a group of trees just off the main path. Yes, he remembered, but he still didn't understand. He had had episodes like that in front of his father many times before, but it was never treated like it had been today. Was it because he had been-_

_"Do you remember!" His father's shout made him jump, and he swung his attention back to him._

_"Y-yes, father. I remember." The boy waited for another response, still staring at his father's strong back. He was confused, but he trusted his father had his best intentions at heart, so he waited silently._

_His father turned, and the boy noted that his hands were clenched in fists so tight, his forearms were straining. "They want me to...They want you killed."_

_Fear started pouring over the boy like a thick blanket of rain. It was several minutes before he was able to speak, his words straining through his throat, "Why...father, why? Wh-what did I do? I didn't hurt anybody, I was just trying to fit in and tell stories, please, father, what do we do!?" Tears were threatening to fall down his cheeks, but the boy held them back, a small part of him still confident that his father would get them out of this._

_The man was silent for many minutes, his face hidden in a shadow. The boy couldn't take it; his panic was threatening to take hold and he felt as though he might collapse from fear. "Father, what do we-"_

_"Don't you see, boy! We can do nothing!" His father's shouts made him jump backwards, falling back onto his hands. "If we disappear, they will follow! If they do not follow, they will spread word! We will have nowhere to sell goods, nowhere to buy supplies, nowhere to take shelter, because they will all be looking to kill us! There is nothing that 'we' can do!"_

_Paralyzed, the boy had no choice but to stare as his father raged in front of him. There was never a time when his hero had looked so helpless. And suddenly, the weight of death was pushing down on him so hard he couldn't breathe._

_His father took a deep, shaky breath, then seemed to disappear. Not in the literal sense, but even though the boy was staring straight at him, he suddenly felt very alone. The man stepped forward, reaching around his neck to release his scarf._

The boy knew what would be next, and even though he knew his time on this world was over, he wasn't afraid.

_Closing his eyes, he prepared for his end. He felt his father's scarf get wrapped around his neck tightly._

_Then...nothing._

_The boy opened his eyes, hoping to stare into his hero's eyes one more time, to express his love for him, his sorrow in letting him down. But he saw nothing._

_He was alone. In every sense of the word._

_"Father..." The tears that had threatened to break earlier spilled down his cheeks. The boy collapsed fully on the ground, curling up into himself._

_He would have rather died._

* * *

The boy, now a man, sat up in his bed quickly, gasping for air. Sweat poured off him, soaking his blankets above and below. His chest ached as if he had been stabbed, his throat tight as if he had been choked...

Which, in all honesty, had been the outcome he had been hoping for all these years.

But his memories stayed the same, the dreams never failing to remind him of the beginning of his end, and always, he would wake.

His back tightened in a quick spasm, and a quick whoosh of air behind him brought him out of his thoughts. Sighing, he turned onto his stomach, dropping the blankets down to his waist. His wings, after all, would blanket him well as he slept.

* * *

**My baby!**

**A few things: I'm finishing up my last college class (woohoo!), so bare with me on the update times. I might be able to upload once a week, but if I fall behind, don't hate me! I'm sticking this out to the very end, and if I don't, I'll allow you all to come to my house and bludgeon me until I relent and finish it. Second, I'm 99% sure I'll be changing the rating from T to M, for language and, quite possibly, future lemons. But I'll give fair warning before that comes to pass. **

**Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Leave me love, leave me hate, doesn't matter, just leave me something!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I've actually been trying to upload this chapter for two days, but apparently FF is having some serious issues. (insert tons of curse words that I can't use because this fic is still rated T) Luckily, I think I've found a way around it for the time being.  
**

**I felt kind of bad leaving you all hanging with just a quick glimpse of Natsu's past, so I figured I'd go ahead and get the story rolling with Lucy. **

**As for some questions/comments I've received about the first chapter: YES! There is a reason and a story as to why and how Natsu has wings. Be patient, it's all coming. I've outlined pretty much every detail, and almost nothing in this story is without explanation. ^_^**

**ANYWHO, Enjoy, you beautiful, beautiful people.**

* * *

"Lucy!"

"Hm?" Lucy turned her head towards the small old man, who was sitting cross-legged on top of the table in front of her. He didn't look pleased, but that wasn't anything new. His wrinkled face was almost always drawn in a contemplative frown, making his emotions hard to read. His faithful staff was tucked gently in the crook of one of his arms, which were crossed across his chest.

He sighed at her, a common occurrence, "I have been calling your name for almost five minutes. Where is your head today, girl?"

"Sorry, master," Lucy rested her chin on her hand, looking down at the handwritten notes she had in front of her. "Guess I'm just not into learning about how my family has maintained their status over this country today."

"Ah.." He sighed once again, his voice becoming as soft as he could make it, which, honestly, wasn't much different than his regular tone, "tonight is your ball, isn't it?"

"It's not 'my' ball! I didn't want it!" Lucy stood, walking over to the tall windows. She could see the gardens in their courtyard, the many servants tending to them, making sure they looked absolutely perfect. She could see the gates, sitting open invitingly, palace staff members entering and exiting with various things in their hands: vases, carts of food, baskets of ice and wine.

She didn't ask for any of this. Her father had. Well, he didn't ask for anything, either. He ordered it. As the King, it wasn't really part of your daily habits to ask for things.

"I just don't understand why I have to do this."

Her tutor was silent behind her, and she used his rare bout of silence to continue looking out the window. Beyond the courtyard, past the gates and over the many buildings of her town, she could see the bridge that led out of town. She always wondered what it would be like to cross it; to lean over the edge and look down at the naturally rushing water, knowing that you're neither in a town nor in the wilderness. And she wondered what it would feel like to cross all the way, to start on the path that led to who knows where, away from everything she's ever known.

Her father had never even let her in town.

"You're an adult now, Lucy. It's time for you to be introduced into the world."

"Then he should actually let me out into it!" She spun around to face the old man, who was, of course, still just sitting there. "I don't understand why I can't just leave. Why do I have to sit in this stupid room and this stupid palace and only look out of these stupid windows? Why do you have to come here to teach me about all the stupid things my father and my family has done for this stupid country? I don't care about any of that!" Lucy paced in front of the bookcases, which were full of books that she had already read. Their pages were filled with adventures, with love, with mythical creatures and powerful dragons.

"It's good to hear that you think of my lessons as stupid." She turned towards the old man, rolling her eyes.

"They're not stupid. I just don't know why you're content with teaching me all this boring stuff. You've been on so many adventures yourself, Master Makarov. Why don't you ever talk about them?"

The Master hopped off the table and strode over to the windows, staring at the scene below them as she had been. "I'm not sure those are the types of stories you'd like to hear, child."

Lucy ran over to him, excited that she had gotten him this close to the subject. "Are you kidding me!? You were a _dragon slayer_! You must have fantastic stories about them-"

"There is nothing _fantastic _about killing dragons, Lucy!" His voice thundered throughout the room, making her jump and effectively ending the conversation. She stared at floor, tired of continuously being shut down when all she wanted was a taste of the outside world. She heard her Master let out another of his trademark sighs.

"Your father mentioned that you had someone to meet today. I guess we should cut our time short today so that you can prepare."

Lucy snorted under her breath. "I'm sure it's just another of his 'important' contacts."

She bowed to her teacher, then exited the room, leaving him to stare out the window. Walking down the halls towards her father's study, she passed many of the palace staff as they hustled past her, placing vases with newly picked flowers throughout the hall, dusting the curtains that were open over the massive windows, polishing the wooden benches that were placed in the halls.

As she reached her destination, she paused in front of the door, waiting for a servant to introduce her to her father. Such stupid traditions. It was her father, and yet she was required to wait to be "called upon", like she was some kind of dog. Finally, after waiting for several minutes, the servant opened the door and ushered her inside.

Her father was standing in front of his desk, chatting politely with two men. Well, chatting with one man. The other looked as if he were sulking, his arms crossed across his chest as he stared out the window behind the desk. Lucy started forward, noticing that the man sulking had to be her age. His hair was black, with an almost blue tint, and long enough to fall into his deep blue eyes. His eyebrows were pulled down over his eyes, and he obviously had no shame in letting his frown show. His clothes suggested that he was from a kingdom to the north; his suit jacket was long and ivory in color, trimmed in deep blues, his pants a dark green, which were tucked into what looked like modest black boots.

His outfit suggested he didn't give a crap about looking formal, but his father looked like he played the part as well as her own. He was just an older version of the man standing next to him (which was how she knew he was the father), but with shorter hair and a carefully relaxed face. He was wearing an extremely regal looking suit that looked extremely heavy with all of the gems embroidered within it. His clothing was also set in whites and blues, which only confirmed her suspicions about where they had come from: the kingdom of Crocus was the furthest kingdom north, set amongst the snowy mountains. It was almost always cold; their summers felt like Magnolia's autumns, and there was snow _everywhere_.

Lucy was surprised their population wasn't comprised of ice statues and yeti.

"Here she is: my daughter, Lucy." Her father extended his hand towards her, and she bowed like she was expected to. As she rose, she saw the older man's eyes sweep down her body quickly, then nod, apparently showing his approval. Yeah, thanks. The son turned his head away from the window long enough to slide his eyes over to her, then mimicked the same sweeping-down-the-body that his father had done, before _hmph_-ing and looking back outside. Yeah, rude.

Her father ignored everything, as per usual, and continued. "Lucy, I'd like you to meet King Silver, ruler of the kingdom of Crocus, and his son, Gray, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Crocus."

Lucy bowed her head once more, already bored. "Pleasure to meet you, your highness." She heard a small laugh, and looked over at Gray, who finally had decided that what was going on inside was more interesting than the window. He had a small smile on his lips, and when his father turned his head to glare at him, he simply shrugged. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lucy. I was very pleased to hear that the marriage between you and Gray will be conducted smoothly." As King Silver spoke, Lucy felt like the air was being let out of the room.

Never mind, this was going to be very bad.

* * *

**Don't hate on my baby Gray just yet!  
**

**However, feel free to express your hatred for King Jude and King Silver (teehee).**

**Hope you liked this, and I'll be back to upload another as soon as I can. Till then-**

**Leave me love, leave me hate, doesn't matter, just leave me something!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Had a couple of pretty neat predictions about what was going to happen next. You are all so lovely.**

**I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter. **

**Also, I'm pretty pleased that I had a bunch of extra time this weekend to knock out three chapters for you all. (I'm lying, I've totally neglected my house and my husband and left my kids to eat candy and play outside in the dirt all weekend) **

**But don't get too comfortable. I really don't want to promise quick updates and then not be able to deliver them. The Life of a College Student/Mom. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Our-...marriage?" Lucy stood dumbfounded, obviously the only one in the room shocked by the announcement. She looked at Gray and saw that his small smile had disappeared, the frown set back in its place.

"Yes, Lucy. Silver and I have been working through the details, and we've finally come to an acceptable agreement." Her father acted as if this wasn't a big deal, that announcing your only daughter's engagement was a normal task that was to be handled without any emotion. "Both parties will benefit from this arrangement, but there is still much to be discussed."

Lucy couldn't believe this. Her father had only looked her way once since she stepped foot in the room, and now he was dismissing her. He was looking at Silver, who in turn was looking at Gray expectantly.

Words escaped her. She wasn't even trying to fit the bill of the "perfect Princess Daughter" by staying silent and accepting this arrangement with pride; she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and let her father know exactly what she thought of him. But her mind couldn't concentrate long enough to process a thought.

Gray was staring at her, and after a few minutes of silence he cleared his throat. "Perhaps Lucy and I should take a walk." He uncrossed his arms and walked over to her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you can give me a tour?"

Lucy stared at him, aware that her mouth was hanging open, but not even close to caring. She took one last look at her father, who had already turned his back to them, then nodded her head at Gray. She allowed him to lead her out of the study, then down the hall. They walked next to each other silently, following the long hallway down until it led them onto an open terrace.

Lucy all but threw herself onto the railing, clenching the top so hard and hoping it would break in her hands. She stared out across the landscape, unaware that she was actually looking at anything.

Gray came up next to her, resting his elbows on the railing as he, too, stared out across the huge pond that took up most of their back garden. They stood there together, silently, for an immeasurable amount of minutes, until finally Gray sighed. "Look-"

"I will never love you." Lucy stared at him, her voice unwavering.

He turned to face her quickly, "Good! I will never love you, either!" They glared at each other for several more minutes, neither one of them backing down.

Until Gray started to break a smile. Suddenly, the tension between them broke, and they both began laughing.

When the laughter began to die down, Lucy looked back out over the water. "I'm sorry."

Gray let out another small laugh. "No, it's alright. I'm just glad we're on the same page about this."

She turned her attention back to him. "What do you mean?"

"Like I was trying to tell you before, I wasn't told about this so-called engagement until we were already halfway here. My father got me into coming by telling me that it was an obligation of an heir to witness the coming out of a neighboring princess."

"Well, in all honesty, that's what tonight is about. So he didn't technically lie to you. It just seems as if there's going to be an extra announcement, now."

He turned to face her, his face appearing so much friendlier than it did in her father's study. "No, I was told that this was to be kept between us for the time being. I guess to make it seem less like the negotiations of two kings, and more like love."

"Well, isn't that convenient for them." Lucy sighed softly, grateful that she, at least, wasn't going to be forced to marry a tyrant.

"The truth is...I'm in love with someone else." Gray turned towards the house, leaning back against the railing and crossing his arms across his chest, one leg over the other.

Lucy instantly felt sorrow. "Gray..."

He closed his eyes, tucking his chin into his chest. "She's a witch in the town just south of Crocus. She's amazing. She actually predicted that something would come in the way of our love, but she was still confident in us. I'm not sure how she could be, but I've never known her to be wrong before."

Lucy wasn't sure what to say. She felt an overwhelming sadness for the situation to begin with, but now that Gray had admitted he was being forced into this with her when his heart belonged to another, she felt especially helpless.

Gray sighed once more, and then lifted his face towards her. His smile had reappeared, effectively raising her mood. She could get used to him easily; he seemed like an incredibly easy person to get along with and be around. "How about we go on that tour? Not much else to do, since our loving fathers have trapped themselves in that stupid study."

Lucy smiled back at him. Yes, she could definitely get used to being around him. As friends, of course. "Sure. Allow me to show you my home, Prince Gray."

He extended his arm for her to take, "After you, Princess Lucy."

* * *

"There you are, milady. A perfect fit!"

Lucy stood in front of her wardrobe mirror, watching as the maid shook out the back of her new dress. Of course it was a perfect fit; she had been standing here for the last two hours as her handmaidens had made last minute adjustments. But she wasn't about to say that out loud and spoil their excitement. No, instead she just smiled her practiced smile and took in her reflection.

She had specifically asked that this dress be modest and simple; she couldn't stand the poufy skirts and tight bodices that her father preferred her to wear. And since it was 'her night', he had begrudgingly agreed to her requests. This dress was form-fitting, but loose, hugging her gently from her chest down to her hips before opening up and flowing freely past her feet. The sleeves ran down to her elbows, covering her shoulders but leaving her collarbone and neck open. Her back was completely free, allowing her to move as she wished and stay relatively cool. The entire gown was a crimson red, trimmed in a light pink and topped off with a modest white sash.

If she had to be excited about anything tonight, then this dress was it. "It's perfect."

Her handmaidens bowed low, one of them brushing a hand under her eye. "You are most welcome, milady. You look so beautiful." Lucy met the eyes of her oldest handmaiden, the one who had been with her since she was born. The woman's eyes were misty, her face becoming red and splotchy "You remind me of your mother."

Lucy looked back at the mirror, trying to see her mother in her own reflection. She didn't really remember what her mother looked like, but she knew she inherited every aspect of her looks from her. Her handmaidens told her regularly: her golden hair, the heart shape of her face, her figure was all identical to Lady Layla of Magnolia. The only thing she had taken from her father was her chocolate brown eyes, which she hated because they were extremely plain.

Her mother had died when she was just a baby, so she never got to know her. She had grown up hearing stories about how majestic and regal and proper she was, but Lucy couldn't help feeling that that barely explained her at all. Unfortunately, she'd never know the truth, because her father was as emotionless as a dragon and nostalgic memories were not anywhere on his list of "Things That's Ok to Talk About".

"Milady, it's time!" Lucy was pulled from her thoughts as one of the servants peeked into her bedroom door, letting her know that she was about to be announced. It wouldn't really look good for her father if she was late for her own coming-out party. It'd be even worse if she didn't show up at all.

Smiling to herself as she thought about everything that would happen if she, in fact, did skip this party, Lucy began walking down the halls, toward the south stairs that would take her straight to the ballroom.

* * *

_This is the story of how Lucy, Princess of Magnolia, died._

Lucy narrated her own death as if she were the author of book, trying to entertain herself before she actually did die of boredom.

She had been standing by her father's chair for what had to have been six hours (just one), as each and every male of worth attending came and introduced himself. There was Bacchus of Acalypha (who smelled like he bathed regularly in wine), Jellal of Hargeon (who was actually pretty sweet), Midnight of Freesia (who scared the crap out of her), Gray of Crocus (who winked at her as he bowed, before dramatically reaching for her hand to kiss it), among so many others. She forgot almost all of them as soon as they said their name, and she was sure they were only presenting themselves to her so that they had a chance to measure her up close. Like a piece of meat.

Finally, _finally_, the line ended, and her father made the announcement of how proud he was to present his only daughter, blah blah lie lie, and that the party could now officially begin.

Lucy watched as the crowd came together and started drinking, dancing politely, and talking in small groups. She didn't care that no one had come up to engage her in conversation, or ask her to dance; in fact, she was pretty thrilled that everyone seemed to ignore her all together.

She caught eyes with Gray across the room, who was pretending to listen to some random woman, and he smiled, nodding his head ever so slightly. Her excitement started to grow, threatening to bubble up and explode and ruin the entire plan that they had come up with earlier this evening.

She watched as he politely (although knowing him, he probably wasn't all that polite) excused himself from the woman's company, then started walking towards her and her father. His face showed a mask of contemplation, and he bowed before her father gracefully.

"Your Highness, I was wondering if I could have a word with you. My father hasn't been too forthcoming in his details about your accomplishments here in this country. As your future...well...business partner, I'd like to learn more."

His words came out perfectly: showing an extreme respect to fluff her father's pride while also hinting at an unsatisfied curiosity and turning this marriage into nothing but a business deal. Her father fell right into his trap.

As the King stood and started on his tirade about just how great he really was, Lucy started to take small steps backwards.

Six, seven, eight...ten steps back, and she was free to throw herself behind the giant curtain and take off running.

No one even noticed that she had left, and no one was following her as she ran through the abandoned foyer, out of the palace doors and through the front gardens.

She felt such an adrenaline rush as she came upon the palace gates, and the only thing she could think about was that she couldn't believe her and Gray's plan had actually worked. Lucy had never been this happy.

Lucy took a deep, excited breath, and then passed through the gates that had been keeping her captive her entire life. She smiled widely, looking around at all the darkened buildings, as four men, who had noticed her leaving and had followed her out of the palace, with hungry smiles and wickedness shining out of their eyes, stalked her from behind.

* * *

**See? I told you not to hate on my baby Gray just yet. **

**Poor Lucy, though, finally getting a small window of freedom to explore the town and she gets stalked.**

**Where's Natsu?**

**;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Woohoo! Time for a little Natsu! Finally, right?**

**I know everyone is getting a little antsy for the romance, but just let me lay the foundation down, all nice and sweet like, and then I promise the romance will come! **

**As for the appearance of other characters in the story: yes, there will be some cameos of other Fairy Tail characters, and some of them have a big part, and others are minor. But I really can't divulge anymore, without giving anything away. **

**I won't hold you up any longer; Enjoy my poor, sweet baby Natsu!**

* * *

The night was a cool one, a welcome relief to the heat wave the region had been experiencing during the daylight hours. Not that it bothered Natsu, since he was prone to his own personal heat waves. Despite the heat of the air around him, and the heat of his own body, he was wrapped in his usual traveling clothes: a heavy cloak that shrouded his entire body, a hood that masked his unusual pink hair, his father's scarf that concealed all of his face, save his eyes. His empty bag was strapped across his back, reminding him just how long he had been pushing back this trip.

He was lucky that he had found this merchant, who was willing to stay open well into the night once a month, so that Natsu could trade and restock on things you can't find in the wilderness.

As he approached the edge of the town he had been sneaking into for so many years, a familiar wave of anxiety rushed through him. He had been in seclusion for so long, hiding from his own kind, that every time he had to walk among them, he felt as if the sky was coming to meet the ground around him. It didn't matter that it was well past midnight, and in all the years he had been traveling here, he had only seen a handful of others wandering the town with him.

Pushing past the anxiety, and without slowing his steps, he crossed the bridge and headed straight for the back alleys.

Natsu kept a quick pace, careful to sidestep the random puddles, trash and passed out men lying haphazardly throughout. Reaching the market district took a good ten minutes, and he didn't want to risk being seen.

Finally, he reached the apex of the alleys, which opened into a large circle filled with carts, booths and small shops. Natsu stepped out of the alley and turned left, heading straight for the only booth still open.

A few candle lanterns were lit on poles, bathing the booth in a soft glow. He saw the merchant standing inside, folding a pile of cloths and laying them delicately beside him. The man was short and round, his hair completely thinned out on top. His face was slightly wrinkled, but he always had a slight smile on his lips. His smell was clean and friendly. He was a kind older man, and Natsu supposed he got lucky with finding this merchant.

He walked up to the booth, sliding his pack off his shoulders, over exaggerating the movements to make enough noise to alert the merchant. The man lifted his head, and a broad smile appeared.

"I was wondering if I was going to see you tonight. You missed last month's trade, I was worried about you." The man's voice was weathered, no doubt from all the years shouting his wares during the day, but relief hung on his words.

If Natsu wasn't so sure he was relieved only from a business aspect, he might have softened towards the man and his words of affection. Lowering his scarf to free his mouth, he bowed his head slightly. "I was detained in ways that were out of my control. I didn't mean to worry you. But I hope you will still accept our barter." He pulled a small pouch out from his cloak and held the heavy item in his hand, showing the merchant his end of their bargain.

The merchant waved his hands in the air, smile growing ever bigger. "Of course we still have a barter, son. Do not worry. I will never leave you without." Natsu smiled and handed the pouch over, glad that his luck had not run out quite yet.

The merchant took the pouch, and immediately frowned. He placed it on his countertop and opened the top, and suddenly scales started pouring over, falling onto his counter in front of him with a sweet _ting_.

"Oh no, son, this is too much." The man looked up at Natsu with questioning eyes, however, he could not conceal the delight he felt at seeing so many of the rare gems fall into his possession. "Our deal is for half of this, and I don't have any extra materials to cover the rest of what you're giving me."

Natsu held up his empty pack, "I only wish to compensate you for our missed meeting last month. I don't need anything extra."

"Son, I can't in good conscience take this many. These are _dragon scales_, not only are they worth so much, but they are dangerous to obtain!"

Natsu smiled sadly at the man, "Trust me, sir. I'm not short in supply. Please. I just need the usual." He slid his pack onto the counter, hopeful that the merchant would agree to his terms and finish the deal already. He was spending too much time here, and his ears were picking up on sounds of a party in the distance.

Luckily, the man sighed, picking up the fallen scales and placing them back in the pouch. "Give me just a few moments. I will have your pack filled and ready." Natsu watched as the man turned and disappeared behind the curtain of his booth.

His anxiety started to rise once again as his ears continued to pick up distant noises. The palace must be throwing a party, which means the party goers would be starting to file out now. As for the moment, he only picked up on a small group of what had to be males, going by the deep tenors and basses flowing through the air.

Natsu's extra senses were helpful in keeping him hidden, but he couldn't rely on hearing alone. Without smell, there was no sure way of knowing just how many there were. Checking to make sure the merchant was still behind his curtain, Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The reaction was something he wasn't sure he would have ever been prepared for.

His eyes shot open, his vision suddenly sharp and pulsing. A growl emitted from deep within his chest, and his mind cleared of everything, except the need to get to her, to take her.

Leaving the merchant booth behind, completely forgotten, Natsu ran towards the scent, towards the sounds of the group of males he heard earlier. He passed the main square, many small shops and houses, and finally entered the alley behind the region's main trading post.

There, he saw them. A group of four males each dressed in ballroom attire, surrounding a female in a low-cut, simple fitting ball gown. Surrounding..._his_ female.

She was standing in the middle of their circle, her head slightly turning to keep all of them in view as they goaded her. She didn't show fear, but Natsu could smell it, among the acrid smell of the four men's desire and wickedness.

Before he knew what he was doing, his feet were leading him straight towards them, a heavy growl of warning escaping through his mouth.

He watched in slow motion as, as one, the group of men turned to look at him. As he took his next step towards them, he saw the female try to take advantage of their distraction, spinning around and trying to shove past one of the men behind her. The man steadied his feet, grabbed her arm, and threw her behind him against the wall, which she hit head first.

His sharp eyesight caught a small spot of blood trickle down her forehead, and suddenly the heat he had been trapping inside of him escaped.

* * *

**Oh, holy hell. **

**Well, at least we know what happened to Lucy. Sort of.**

**Now what's going to happen, with Lucy getting all attacked and Natsu getting all fired up?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ****Got a nice short chapter for you today. Sorry, but I had to get out of Lucy's head quickly to make room for the next chapter. And I've probably said too much. ENJOY.**

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure why her head was hurting, or why she was suddenly so _hot_. She felt like she was kneeling on bricks, which was ridiculous because she had her new ball gown on. She must have fallen asleep somewhere outside, probably on one of the terraces.

She tried opening her eyes, only to shut them again quickly. Something was falling down into her right eye; something too thick to be sweat and inconsistent to be rain. Bringing her hand to her forehead, she opened her left eye and swiped at the wetness. As she lowered her hand, she looked down, seeing deep red. Oh. It's blood.

All at once, the events of the night came back to her: the party, her leaving the palace to wander the town, the men following her and leading her to this alley. Their cat-calls echoing in her brain, their promises of what they were going to do to her making her scream on the inside.

A blast of heat and a sharp grunt of pain brought her back to the present, and she had no idea what exactly was unfolding in front of her. Two of the men torturing her were laying on the ground, barely moving, if at all. The sharp grunt of pain she had just heard had come from another of them being thrown against the alley wall, and now, the fourth was preparing to run.

The cause of the fallen bodies? A single man, dressed in a heavy cloak, wielding no weapons she could see.

Lucy attempted to stand, something inside of her warning that if he could do this to four men, he could easily do much worse to her, but as she rose, her legs buckled beneath her, sending her back down.

She looked up just in time to see the lone man whip his head over to her, his eyes somehow glowing. The fourth man took his distraction as a means to retreat, running through the alley back towards the palace, no doubt to call for guards.

Great, because that's what she needed right now. To be found in an alley in town, bleeding and surrounded by three unconscious guys who had just happened to be guests of her father. She tried the standing thing again, and luckily her legs held strong.

Too bad she lost her balance again when a hand suddenly appeared around her waist, but at least she didn't scream.

Lucy looked up into the eyes of the strange man, who, lucky for her, was currently holding her up. She could see a strand of hair peeking out from under his hood, and the color reminded her of her favorite pink roses. His eyes seemed a lot softer than they were just a second ago, and she noted that the irises were completely black.

"Are you alright?" His voice shocked her, coming out soft and light despite how deep it was. She stared at him for a few seconds, wondering who he was and why she had never seen him before. "Miss? Are you okay?"

Oh, right, he was talking to her. Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but in that instant, they both heard a sound that could only have been men shouting. Boots pounding on pavement came next, followed by more shouting that was getting closer. Crap.

"Shit." The man's curse brought her attention back to him, and before she could tell him that she had to go, that she couldn't get caught, he grabbed her hand and started running in the opposite direction. He all but dragged her through the back alleys of the town, keeping them out of sight and, for the most part, quiet. They made it to the merchant's square rather quickly, and she was thankful that he at least knew where he was going, because she had never traveled this far.

He slowed down, and she saw him staring across the square at a booth that still had its torches burning. Lucy opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, why they were waiting, when more shouting erupted from behind them. How the hell did they catch up to them so quickly?

"Shit!" The man cursed again, loudly, took one last look at the merchant's booth and grasped her hand tighter, forcing her to run even faster.

She followed silently, not that there was much of a choice, since he had an iron grip on her hand, but still, she went without complaint. He obviously wanted to get as far from the palace guards as she did, so wherever he was going, she was willing to follow. Her father had never let her even entertain the notion of traveling outside the town, and as the man pulled her over the stone bridge that signified their exit of the city, she felt a rush of adrenaline.

Never mind that he might actually be kidnapping her.

* * *

**Lucy finally gets her freedom!...Sort of.**

**Natsu will take care of her, right? Right?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Because I love you, I give you this two days early!**

**Hey, Lucy is finally getting her wish! I mean, so what if it's because some random guy is dragging her along; she's getting to cross the bridge she has been looking at her whole life, and she's finally getting to go on an adventure, right?**

**Well, let's see what Natsu thinks.**

**(By the way, his language is going to start getting progressively worse, because he wasn't raised in a palace...or around other people. So he really has no concept of what a 'filthy mouth' is...nor does he really care. Just a warning.)**

* * *

Damn it all to hell. What the hell was he thinking?

Natsu couldn't believe what was happening right now. It had all started with an innocent trip to get supplies that he desperately needed, supplies that he still didn't have, and now it was an escape game with a random woman that he was practically kidnapping. A woman that he just couldn't let go.

He didn't know why he had grabbed her hand and forced her through the back alleys of the town, nor why he had pulled her across the bridge and into the forest beyond the path. He wasn't sure why he had led her deep into the trees, and he sure as hell didn't know what made him press her into a tree, her back against the bark as his body shielded hers. He was facing her, his chest pressed against hers, his hand gently over her mouth, as he peaked around the tree to spy on the guards that had, for whatever reason, deemed them important enough to follow outside the city limits.

He had never been followed this far, and the adrenaline from the chase was starting to catch up to him. Not good. He could feel his body heating, the skin on his back starting to tighten. The only thing going for him was the fact that his senses were still on overload, and he could see that the guards were starting to fall off their tail. In fact, they had started to turn in the opposite direction.

Natsu took a deep breath, closing his eyes in a small sense of relief. He opened them slowly, turning his attention to the woman he still had pressed against the tree.

She was staring at him with wide eyes, but they didn't look frightened. Curiosity was shining out of them, freezing him in his thoughts. Her hair was soft and yellow, styled on top of her head. The few strands that had freed during their pursuit were blowing softly across her face. Natsu fought an irresistible urge to brush them behind her ear, a feeling bubbling inside of him that he didn't recognize.

A throat clearing softly shocked him out of his reverie. He watched as the woman's eyes moved from his own down to the hand that was still covering her mouth, and Natsu quickly removed it. "I'm sorry. They're gone now." He had the urge to finish with 'we're safe', but he wasn't sure how she would feel about that.

He watched as she exhaled through her mouth, her eyes never leaving his. They stood there staring at each other for another handful of seconds, before she turned her head to start looking at her surroundings. Natsu stepped away from her, turning to the north and measuring how long it would take them to get back on the path. Once they were there, in about an hour's journey, what would he do? He had never brought another human anywhere close to his place, but could he really afford the time it would take to bring her back towards the town? How much time did he have left, even now? Gods, this was just getting worse and worse.

"Hey, where did you go? It's so dark, I can't see anything." Her voice, so sweet and smooth, sounded out behind him, and he turned towards her. She was a good ten feet away; he hadn't realized he was walking away from her. Just more proof that he was losing it tonight.

"We need to get out of these woods." Natsu watched as she turned towards him, following the sound of his voice. He reached out his hand and grasped hers lightly, letting her know he was back in front of her. "It's kind of a long walk. Are you going to be ok walking in dark?"

The female scoffed at him, clearly offended. "I'm not afraid of the dark, if that's what you're implying. I just literally can't see anything." She used her other hand to feel up his arm, then patted her way to his back. The skin where she touched instantly started to spasm, and Natsu squeezed his eyes shut. Damn it, not here.

He turned around, grasping her hand tightly and spinning off the contact on his back. "Just hold on to my hand and watch your feet." He realized his voice was rough, but there wasn't enough time left for him to apologize.

He heard her gasp as he shot forward, trying to stay mindful of the fallen trees and high foliage so that she wouldn't slow him down. To give her credit, she followed his pace without complaint, and only stumbled a couple of times.

Well, at least he had kidnapped a woman who was familiar with traveling through the woods. Although he was sure she wasn't used to doing so in a ball gown.

Natsu led them through quietly, his eyes honing in on the path just beyond the trees. Any second, they would break through, and then what? She didn't seem like she minded being taken away, but maybe that was just his narrowed perspective. He didn't really give her a choice, did he? And even if she didn't mind, and on the off chance that she did want to go with a strange man who was kicking the shit out of four guys who were dressed the same as she was, was he really going to bring her to his home?

It didn't seem like a good idea, especially since he had been on the cusp of his transformation for this long already. He had never gone this long holding it back before, and he could only pray to the Gods that he could hold on until she was out of his sight.

"Please, slow down." The female's voice was winded and straining behind him.

He felt a pang of remorse, but there just _wasn't enough time_. "I'm sorry, we're almost there." They had to get out of these damn woods.

Finally, _finally_, Natsu's feet hit the worn path, and he all but yanked her the rest of the way out of the woods and onto it. She fell, albeit gracefully, onto her hands and knees, and started taking deep breaths. He looked up at the stars, measuring the time that had passed by their positions, and noted that it had only taken them forty-five minutes from the time they ran out of the city until now. Wow. No wonder she was tired.

Natsu walked back over to her and extended his palm. "I'm sorry. I just can't afford to be caught. Not by palace guards. Are you ok, miss?"

Her deep chocolate eyes met his, and she took his palm, using it to help her stand. She was breathing easier now, a slight smile on her lips. "I'm fine, and stop calling me 'miss'. My name is Lucy. And trust me, I really can't afford to be caught, either." He watched as she dusted off her gown, and he couldn't help but linger on the most feminine parts of her. Her hands traveled over her breasts, sweeping over them lightly to straighten out the cloth. He followed her hands as they continued to travel down to her hips then to her knees, where she gracefully swept off the dirt that had gathered there. Once again, a feeling started to bubble up inside of him that he didn't recognize.

Before he realized what he was doing, he captured her hand and used it to bring her flush against him. She gasped, her face inches away from his. "Lucy…" He stared into her beautiful brown eyes, holding her tight against his chest.

Lucy's face started to flush, turning her cheeks a delicious pink color, and she turned her eyes away, laughing slightly. "So, why don't you want to be caught by the palace guards? Are you a thief or something?"

Natsu tilted his head, trying to bring her eyes back into view. "I was there to barter with a merchant, as an honest man. Why don't you want to be caught?" He watched as one of her strands of hair blew across her face, and he again fought the urge to stroke her cheek and tuck it behind her ear.

She peeked back up at him, her face still rosy pink. "What's your name?"

He smiled at her, grateful that she had accepted his aversion to her question. "Tell me why you don't want to be caught, and I'll tell you my name."

"Well that's not very fair."

"I'm not really that fair of a man."

She lowered her eyebrows at him and pouted her lips, and he couldn't help but smile even bigger. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do, but it was cute as hell. Eventually, she sighed, smiling once again. "My father isn't going to be too happy that I snuck out of the palace."

Natsu watched the strand of hair blow in the wind one more time, and finally gave in to his urge. He lifted his hand and brushed it across her cheek, leading her beautiful golden strands behind her ear. "And why would your father care if you left the palace?"

Lucy turned her head into his hand, closing her eyes. "Well, he's never let me out before."

He let his hand trail down the side of her neck, and his eyes watched in fascination as her mouth opened slightly at his touch. "What do you mean he's never…" His hand stopped in its path, paralyzed.

It all hit him at once. "You've never left the...your father won't be…" Natsu stepped back from her. This can't be happening. "That's why the guards followed us. You're...you're the _princess_?" Lucy's eyes widened, and she allowed the distance he was setting between them. Which was good.

Because a tremor of heat decided to run through his body at that exact moment, and he collapsed onto his knees.

* * *

**::slowly backs away, before running and hiding behind a bush::**

**Poor baby didn't know the girl he 'kidnapped' was a princess.**

**That's gotta be good for his 'condition'.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Aww, there was a little bit of a moment between them! Well, depending on how well Lucy takes his 'change', there might be some more moments in store for them.**

**(As I warned in the last chapter, Natsu's language gets a little rough here.)**

* * *

_He didn't know I was the Princess. _Lucy watched as the man collapsed onto the ground. She wasn't sure what was more shocking: his ignorance about whom she was or the fact that he had fallen to his knees and now seemed to be having a seizure. Was he hurt?

She stepped forward, reaching her hand out to touch him, but he must have sensed her movement because he snapped his head up. "Don't touch me!"

His voice was rougher than it had been a second ago, but she wasn't worried about that. He was obviously hurt, and she was the only one around who could help him. "Just let me help you. Your house is somewhere near here, right? Let me help you get there." She came forward again, placing her hand on his arm.

He flinched at her touch, or maybe it was her hand that flinched, because his skin felt like it was burning. She ignored that too, however, her instincts to help him pushing through. She leaned down and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and stood. Holy hell, he's heavy.

"Just lead the way, we can make it together." Lucy watched as he clenched his eyes shut, his body bowing into itself, but he nodded softly and started walking. Ok, progress.

She let him lead her feet, and she concentrated on not dropping him. It felt like he was burning with fever, and his body would tremor every few minutes. Did he get wounded in the fight? Was he getting an infection?

Lucy had to stay focused. "So, will you tell me your name now?" She heard the man grunt, whether in pain or in anger she wasn't sure, but he didn't say a word. "Come now, I've told you everything you want to know. I'm only asking for your name."

He was silent, save for the tremors and small gasps, for a few more minutes as he led her further up the path. Finally, they hit an incline, and he looked up at the cliff face they were heading towards.

"My name is Natsu." His voice surprised her, sounding even more gravelly, but she smiled anyway.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" He looked over at her, his eyes strangely bright, his face covered in a slight sheen of sweat.

Just then, her feet leveled out, and she looked ahead of her. She saw the opening of a large cave, its depths lit up slightly by what had to be multiple torches. This is his home? A cave in the middle of a mountain?

He groaned again, and she cleared her head of all thoughts and hurried her feet. He needed to get inside, and she needed to figure out what she could do to help him.

As she entered the mouth of the cave, however, he lunged out of her hold, causing her to fall onto her side on the dirt floor.

The man, Natsu, apparently, started stumbling through the halls, ripping off his cloak and slamming into the cavern walls every few steps. Lucy picked herself off the dirt floor, intent to follow him.

"Leave!" His voice stopped her before she had stood, sounding as if he were forcing his words through a raw throat.

"I can't leave; I don't even know where I am!" She picked herself up fully and started forward, just in time to follow him through another bending hallway.

"Just-..just go! I don't care where; just get the hell out of here!" She watched as he all but collapsed into a room, holding his entire weight with one hand on a makeshift door frame. His entire body was shaking, and the closer she got, the hotter the air seemed to be. In fact, she felt as if she were looking at him through a heat wave, his frame shimmering back and forth like a mirage.

Lucy took a few more steps, reaching out to touch him. "You're hurt, please. Just let me help you. You saved my life, now let me help you-"

"I said, GET OUT!" He turned on her so quickly she barely had time to withdraw her hand. She gasped, a lick of pain flaring in her hand like she had been burned, but the only thing running through her mind was the pair of glowing eyes glaring at her. Natsu was panting hard in front of her, breath sawing in and out of an open mouth that showed pointed canines, eyes burning like fire. He took a few steps back, and she let him create the distance.

Suddenly, he groaned, falling to his knees. "I don't want to hurt you…please...leave." His voice was tortured, and she felt a stab of sorrow. Then, his body began to shake.

Fire suddenly erupted around him, ON him, and the heat wave blasted Lucy's entire body, forcing her to shield her face with her arm. A ripping sound erupted through the cavern, and when she lowered her arm, she saw something she knew would haunt her dreams forever. Massive red wings shot out of his back, wings she had only seen in drawings of demons and dragons. Natsu threw his head back, and then she saw a tail, red as blood and topped with lethal spikes, wrap around the front of his knees. Fire danced in random spots across his skin, but it never showed to be actually burning him. His sinister looking wings fluttered gracefully in the air before resting against back, and his tail whipped back and forth slowly.

Natsu lowered his head, locking his eyes with hers, and a look of disappointment and regret flashed across his face. Several seconds, minutes, hours (who knew?) passed between them before he spoke, softly. "I'm sorry, Lucy. Please, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

Hurt me? She was confused. Sure, maybe when freaking WINGS sprouted out of his back, she was shocked. And when fire started dancing across his skin for NO REASON, she was a bit (a lot) concerned. But, as she stood there, staring at his pink hair, his gentle eyes, his (finally) relaxed body, she was anything but afraid.

No, this was definitely not fear she was feeling.

* * *

Gods, he had held it back for way too long. His back felt like it was torn, his wings obviously angry that they had been contained and showing their discontent by shredding his skin as they emerged. His entire body was spent; he felt as if, for the first time in his life, the flames dancing across his skin were going to burn him to ash. He knew that the heat inside of his body had finally escaped, because he felt an overwhelming coolness wash over him.

Or maybe the wave of cold that washed through him was his own horror, because the woman he had kidnapped was still standing in the doorway to his room, staring at him with wide, chocolate eyes.

No, the Gods-damn _Princess _he had kidnapped.

That's what set off his tremors, wasn't it? The shock of learning that he had dragged the Princess of Magnolia out of the town and into the woods, trapped her against a tree and covered her mouth so that her own palace guards wouldn't find her was too much of a mind-fuck for him to keep his hold on his transformation any longer.

Natsu vaguely recalled telling her a few moments ago that he wasn't going to hurt her, but she was still just standing there. Was she calculating her chances of escape if she started to run? Or was she just struck stupid at the sight of a man with dragon wings and a tail?

He sighed, his body falling into a deep exhaustion, the fires around him extinguishing. "Lucy, it's ok. I'm not going to chase you. Just go." He closed his eyes, trying to convince himself that he did so because he was tired, and not because he didn't want to see her leaving.

He should have thought this through. He should have thought, _period_. Even if she had been just an ordinary woman, grabbing her hand and forcing her to come with him was the worst decision of his life. But, if he were being honest with himself, he couldn't come to regret it. He felt an unexplained magnetism towards her, and he knew he would remember the feeling of her body pressed against his for the rest of his life. She elicited a heat inside of him that had nothing to do with his dragon side.

Natsu was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps sound on the floor in front of him, nor did he sense the movement of a hand coming to touch him, until it was too late. His eyes shot open and he moved back reflexively, watching as Lucy withdrew her hand slightly. She was sitting in front of him, her arm outstretched and her hand inches away from his face. Her eyes were still wide and bright, her mouth slightly open.

He was so confused. Lucy was still here, and she was sitting on her knees right in front of him, trying to touch him. He sat paralyzed from that confusion, and Lucy began to reach forward again. Her fingers threaded through his pink locks, and he watched her smile as she combed through them, her fingertips grazing the side of his face.

"I thought I saw pink hair escaping from your hood back in town." Lucy threaded her fingers through his hair again, combing back towards his ears this time.

Natsu could only stare at her. "My hair. That's...that's what you want to talk about right now?" She looked away from the top of his head and back into his eyes, and her face started to turn pink.

"Well, if you want to be like that..." She stood up in front of him, and he was sure she was about to walk away. But she surprised him even further. Lucy looked straight at his wings, and then extended her arm towards them.

Natsu jumped to his feet and backed away from her. "What the hell are you doing?"

She jumped at his sudden movement, frowning at him and placing her hand on her hip. "Well, obviously conversation about your hair is off limits. So I figured I'd just move to the next most obvious trait you have."

"My _hair_ is the most obvious trait I have? Really?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lucy stood up straight, staring him straight in the eye. "It's not like there's bunch of people walking around with pink hair!"

"There's also not a bunch of people walking around with _fucking wings _sprouting out of their back!" He was yelling at her now. But she was having no part of it.

"What do you want from me, Natsu? Do you want me to run? To be afraid? Because I'm not! You saved me from those men in town, who were ready to do horrible things to me! You saved me from the palace guards, who would have taken me back to the place I have been trapped my entire life! You have been nothing but gentle towards me since I first saw you in that alley. Yes, seeing you with dragon wings and a tail is shocking, but if you wanted me to think you were a monster then you should have acted like one in the first place! Or even now!" She was shouting back at him, her hands in fists at her sides.

Natsu just stood there with his mouth open, staring at her. He couldn't even come up with a coherent thought, let alone a response. His entire life, he had been avoiding people, afraid that they would treat him like the monster he thought he was. But now this woman was standing here in front of him, calling him good and basically telling him to stop being an idiot, that she wasn't going anywhere.

He heard her sigh, then saw her face lose all frustration. She took a few more steps towards him, looking deep in his eyes. Her hand extended once more towards his wings, and this time, he let her.

Lucy looked up over his shoulder, gazing at the part of him he's always hated. However, there was only curiosity and wonder shining out of her eyes. He felt her hand stroke the membrane of his wings, and he closed his eyes. It felt so much better than he ever thought it would.

Natsu heard her gasp lightly, and he opened his eyes to see her smiling gently, and then felt her hand stroke the top of his left wing. He couldn't hold back any longer.

Natsu reached forward and slid his hands up the back of her neck, then watched her eyes meet his. He didn't bother asking for permission before he leaned forward and crushed his lips against hers, the action coming as naturally to him as breathing.

She sighed into his mouth, and his body reacted in a way he didn't recognize. He wrapped his other hand around her waist and pulled her against him, once again relishing in the feel of her soft body against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.

Natsu had never so happy, felt so free. The hand on her waist started traveling up her back-

He let out a huge yawn against her lips.

Lucy pulled back, her face showing shock. They stood there for a few seconds, staring at each other: her with disbelief, him with a small amount of shame.

"Um." She let out a small laugh. "I didn't realize I was boring you."

He was horrified. Especially as his body forced him to let out another yawn.

He shook his head, trying to wake himself up. "I swear to the Gods, I'm so sorry. Trust me, my body wants to be awake so badly, but," he yawned, _again_. Gods-damnit. "I've never held back my wings that long before, and it has exhausted me."

As good as she was, Lucy smiled at him. "I can believe that. You looked like you were in rough shape before." She traced the side of his face with her fingertips, and he leaned into her touch. "If you need to lie down, I won't think you rude."

"Lay with me?" The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he was thinking. She looked at him, silent for a few seconds, before she smiled and nodded.

He smiled back at her, stifling another yawn, then took her hand and led her to his bed behind them. He started to reach for the ties on the back of shirt, but thought better of it. Yeah, they might have kissed, but seriously: she was a Princess and probably wasn't used to sleeping next to half-naked guys she had just met.

Natsu released her hand and lay down, sliding against the cavern wall so she had room. He looked up at her just in time to see her hands working at the hair on the top of her head, releasing multiple different pins and dropping them on the floor next to her. As she released each pin, more and more of her golden strands fell down past her shoulders, creating a halo around her beautiful heart-shaped face.

As she released the last pin, Lucy looked up and caught him staring at her. "I'm sorry, I'll pick them up, I promise."

He waved his hand at her. "No, that's ok. You're fine." He extended his hand out to her, and she took it then sat down on the bed next to him.

Together, they laid down side-by-side, facing each other, and Natsu let out another yawn.

"So why were you really in town tonight?" Lucy's voice was soft, her breath blowing across his face.

"I told you, I was bartering with a merchant."

"But I haven't seen you carrying any wares or bag."

Natsu fought to keep his eyes open, his thoughts becoming a little more clouded by the second. "I left them when I went to save you. Which kind of puts me in trouble, because this is the second month I've missed our trade."

He couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to see, but by her silence he figured she was looking guilty, which was the last thing he wanted. He yawned again, and she spoke before he had a chance to tell her it wasn't her fault.

"Don't you have any family that could help you get the things you need?"

"My father was the only family I've ever had, and he abandoned me when I was young..." Natsu knew his words were slurring, but he fought against the tide of sleep anyway.

"Natsu," she was whispering now, her voice inches away from his face, "stop fighting your sleep. Please, get some rest."

He was pulled down into slumber not a second later, her name falling off his lips one last time.

* * *

**I'm so mean. But Natsu was so sleepy! I couldn't force him to stay awake any longer.  
**

**(Did you notice that we caught up to the teaser?)**

**I just want to explain my Lucy real quick. She's been trapped in the palace her whole life, sheltered from anything and everything, not even allowed outside of the gates. Natsu saved her, then protected her from the guards when she didn't want to be caught and taken back into that prison (even though he thought he was just kidnapping her), so yes, she's a little naive and a little too accepting BUT all she's ever wanted was an adventure, and Natsu is giving that to her. Besides, he's been good to her so far, so why would she want to leave? **

**=) Leave me love, leave me hate, doesn't matter, just leave me something!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, Natsu is passed out, and Lucy is feeling guilty. What do you think that's going to lead to?**

* * *

This was quite possibly the scariest thing that she had ever done. And wasn't that sad? It wasn't like she was jumping off a cliff into a large pool of water, that she didn't know the depth of. Or hunting a huge beast that had been terrorizing her family, in the dark of night, with only a small dagger. Or running through the darkened woods, away from palace guards who were chasing her. Oh wait; she had already done that last one.

Still, this was much more terrifying.

Lucy had no idea how far Natsu's cave was from the town, but she was hoping that if she took the path that he had been obsessed with getting back on, then she would eventually find it. All she had to do was go the opposite direction, right?

The sun had come up only a short while ago, and Natsu had passed out. He told her that when he had to hold back his wings, it exhausted him, and he had been holding them back way longer than he ever had before when he saved her last night. She was counting on that exhaustion as she formulated her plan right before he fell asleep, and as soon as he had, she jumped up and went into action.

Now, she was wrapped in his heavy cloak, the hood covering her hair and shadowing her face, traveling down the path back into the town.

He had helped her in ways he didn't know, so she had to do something for him. And getting the supplies he desperately needed that he had left in order to help her seemed like a good trade.

For a long time, Lucy walked. As she walked, she realized that she was seriously delusional about what "in shape" meant, because even though she was slim and had been running through the palace and the gardens all her life, her legs and feet were still killing her and her breath was coming quicker. Looking down, she saw that she still had her ball shoes on, the strappy, open-toed heels that she had had made specifically for last night. Well, that could be the reason her feet hurt.

As she slipped them off, she felt as if her feet were crying out in relief. Sighing, she looked at her shoes, suddenly wishing she had brought a bag with her. She couldn't go carrying a pair of expensive shoes into town; people would either think she had stolen them from, well, herself, and reveal her identity, or they would automatically assume who she was. Either way ended badly.

Lucy looked around, trying to find a good place to hide them. Just barely off the path, there was a patch of high foliage between two towering trees. Perfect. She ran over, hid her shoes, and then continued on to town barefoot.

The sun was about halfway up into the sky when Lucy caught sight of the bridge. Her sigh of relief came with a rush of nervousness, but she didn't let it slow her down. Her bare feet crossed over the stones, and she tucked her head deeper into the large hood as a cart passed by her.

She remembered Natsu slowing down to look at a merchant's booth in the main square, but she didn't exactly know where the main square was. Hopefully, she could just follow the traffic of people.

Lucy started towards the center of the town, trying to follow the traffic and stay to the side. She passed many shops: one that sold clothes, another that fixed shoes of all kinds, a book store. There were so many people around, and if this were any other time, any other situation, she would have been in heaven.

But she had to get to that merchant, and she had to get back to Natsu.

Lucy kept her pace steady, trying to stay inconspicuous, and finally the main road opened up into a big circle. She stopped and looked around, thankful that she was able to navigate here without any trouble. She saw many booths set up around the perimeter, each one occupied with a merchant shouting his wares or bartering with the townsfolk.

They all looked the same to her. Trying not to panic, she started on the right, slowly checking out the booths as she passed. She remembered the two candle lanterns hanging off the sides, and she hoped that it was the identifying mark of the booth she was looking for.

Passing all of the merchants on the right, she started going back up the circle on the left. As she was about to lose hope, she spotted the two candle lanterns, and an older balding man standing inside, folding cloths.

Lucy made her way up to him, her hands on her hood to keep it in place. The man looked up, and instantly his face showed surprise.

"Is that you!?" He leaned forward and whispered hard, and Lucy stood shocked for a second. She had actually done it: she had found the merchant that Natsu had been bartering with, and he obviously recognized his traveling cloak.

"No, I'm...a friend...of the man you usually do business with."

The poor old man started to show panic, leaning over the counter of his booth. "Is he alright? I don't know what happened; I went to gather his supplies, I was only gone a couple of moments. Then I heard shouting, and when I came back out there were palace guards running through the streets, shouting, and he was nowhere in sight."

Lucy pulled the hood further over her face. "He is fine. Don't worry." She watched the merchant's face relax in relief, a deep sigh escaping him. His concern of Natsu was sweet. "I came on his behalf to gather the goods he couldn't leave with last night. He's...otherwise occupied."

The old man sprang into action, a smile blooming on his face. "Of course, of course. I'm just glad that he has a friend that would do this for him. I've been worrying about him ever since I first sold him wares. It was pure luck that he found me, actually. I don't normally stay to sell late, but I had a rather large order to finish. He came by and asked if we could trade. As we finished, he asked if I was usually open this late, and I couldn't find it in me to say no. He just seemed so anxious, slightly scared. I figured it was hard for him to find a merchant to sell to him late at night, and I had an overwhelming urge to help him. I've been looking forward to seeing him every month ever since." He reached under his table, and then laid a heavy pack on top of it. She could see that it was packed tight, absolutely full. "I've added in all the extras that I possibly could. I hope it helps in making up for the month he missed."

Lucy eyed the pack, noting how big the thing was. She hoped she would be able to carry it back up the path, otherwise Natsu was going to find her collapsed in the middle of nowhere with all of his stuff laying around her.

"Also," Lucy looked back up at the merchant, who had placed a small pouch on the table. "I need you to take this back to him. I can't take this much of an overpayment. He wouldn't accept my refusal last night, but if you take it back, he won't have a choice."

She nodded her head and took the pouch, sliding it into the folds of the cloak. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your kindness. He definitely needs it." Keeping her head dipped low to make sure the hood did not fall, she slipped the pack over her shoulders. Holy crap, this thing was heavy.

"Take care, miss. And let him know that I look forward to our next meeting!" The merchant smiled broadly at her, waving his goodbye, and she set off, trying her hardest to keep her back straight and make it look like she wasn't struggling with the weight.

He had better kiss her damn feet after this.

As she passed through the town again, she just happened to look up and see the library. In the window, there was a book with an illustrated cover that stopped her in her tracks: a dragon. Her father never allowed her to read any books about dragons that were based on fact, and honestly, since she was kind of staying with a man who had dragon qualities (literally), she thought maybe factual information would come in handy.

Natsu was probably going to sleep a long time anyway.

Lucy pushed through the doors, and a sweet little bell announced her arrival. It was empty, save for a little blue haired woman. She had her arms full of books, and it looked like she was methodically placing them back on the shelves.

Her face turned towards Lucy, and she smiled. "Hello! Can I help you find anything today?" The librarians face was friendly, her large hazel eyes practically sparkling. She had her blue hair tied back from her face with a ribbon, and her dress was modest, flowing freely down to her knees.

"Actually, I just had...a couple of questions." Lucy slid the pack off her shoulders, instantly feeling relief. The woman smiled and walked over to her, placing her books onto a table nearby.

"Sounds great! What can I help you with?"

"What do you know about dragons?"

The blue haired woman raised her hand to her chin, "Well, there's not _much_ that we know about them, besides the fact that they're incredibly intelligent, fearsome and brutal. We know that they're capable of magic, but each one is different so there isn't much else known on that subject. Also, there are tribes of dragon slayers that hunt down the dragons that aren't content with their isolation, but we don't know much about the tribes themselves because they, too, prefer to live away from everyone else."

Her curiosity peeked. "Dragons have magic?"

"They do; they use it to keep humans away from their nests, to create snowstorms or torrential rain, even to curse people."

Curses, huh? "Are there many instances of dragons cursing people?"

"Oh yes, it's actually a very common thing, especially among the dragon slayers." The woman started to walk towards the shelves, and Lucy followed obediently.

"What kind of curses do they give?"

"Oh, there have been many different kinds of curses. Curses of bad health, bad fortune, curses of infertility-"

"Infertility!?"

The woman laughed. "Yes, infertility. If a dragon cursed a slayer with infertility, then the slayer would have no way of producing any heirs, effectively ending his bloodline and ruining any chances of another generation of slayers. Dragon slayers are not recruited, but are born into the role, trained by their fathers and brothers, you see." She began to read through the titles, obviously looking for something in particular, but Lucy was too transfixed to notice.

"What about a dragon cursing a slayer with...with a dragon son?"

"Ah," the librarian sighed, looking back to Lucy. "Yes, there have been stories passed down of slayers hunting the fiercest, most tenacious of dragons, and being cursed with an abomination as an offspring. It is the cruelest joke among them, because a dragon's curse does not take effect until the dragon is killed. The idea is to haunt the slayer for the rest of his life; a kind of 'you kill me, and I will be reincarnated into the thing you will love most in the world'."

"That's awful..."

"Truly. But it is proof of how dangerous the creatures are. Curse a dragon slayer with a dragon son, and he will have no choice but to kill his own legacy with his own hands. Or, he will watch as his tribe does it for him." She turned back to the titles, using her finger to scan through.

Lucy could do nothing but stand there. Natsu had said that his only family had been his father, but he had abandoned him when he was a small boy. Could that have been why, because the man's son had been cursed with dragon qualities?

"Ha! Here it is!" The woman's exclamation startled Lucy. She saw her picking out a weathered, leather bound book and carrying it delicately over to her. "Here, this is the most compiled and factual information that I have on dragons."

Lucy took the book from her, and marveled at the beautiful designs. There were dragons dancing all over the front cover, each cut into the leather with precision.

She looked back at the woman, who was standing in front of her smiling. "Thank you so much, miss."

The woman waved her hand in the air. "Oh no, none of that 'miss' stuff. My name is Levy. And it's not a problem at all. It's not often that someone comes in and asks of dragons. I, myself, am fascinated by them."

Lucy smiled at her, wishing she could do something for her in return. Suddenly, she recalled the merchant telling her to take Natsu back some of his money, and she reached into the cloak to retrieve the pouch. Levy watched the action and started to back away.

"Oh no, it's alright. This is a library, not a store. Just return it when you are finished, that's all I ask."

Lucy ignored her and opened the pouch, tipping it upside down and shaking the coins onto the table next to her. Except it wasn't coins that fell out.

They both gasped. "Are those..._dragon scales_?" Levy reached forward slowly, lightly touching one of the shiny red scales.

Lucy regained herself, realizing that it would look odd if she acted like she hadn't known they were there. "Y-yes. And I'd like you to have them. As payment for your help."

Levy stared at the scales, mesmerized. "I couldn't possibly...these are incredibly rare."

Lucy slid the pack back onto her shoulders and held the book protectively in her arms. "I insist. And don't worry; I'll bring your book back as soon as I am able."

She bowed her head and turned to walk out the door. As she stepped through the frame, she turned her head and saw Levy holding a scale in her hands, her eyes sparkling like she was holding the greatest treasure.

Smiling, Lucy continued out into the town, making her way back across the bridge and onto the path that would lead her back to Natsu.

Hopefully, he would still be sleeping.

* * *

**How sweet! She traveled all the way back in town to get the supplies he had left, and even met Levy!**

**=)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I normally try to post on Mondays, but I had a busy day yesterday. Also, it was really hard for me to write this chapter. I'm not quite sure why, but I just lost all motivation and had a _really_ tough time coming up with material for it. I've actually been working on it for a couple weeks now. But the good news is, I have the next few chapters completely worked out in my head, and then a way-later chapter already written, so don't worry!**

**Enjoy, my lovelies!**

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Good Gods, it felt like he had been sleeping for days. His body was achy, his eyelids were heavy even though they were still closed, his back felt as if it had been whipped a thousand times over. What the hell did he do last night to make him this tired and weak?

Natsu rolled over onto his back, stretching his arms over his head while his wings splayed out over the bed. He took a deep breath and-

Lucy filled his nose. Sitting up in his bed, he suddenly remembered why he was so sore today: he had held back his wings for so much longer than he was used to, thoroughly exhausting him, because he had saved (kidnapped) Lucy and brought her to his home. He knew she wasn't here, in his room, but he could still smell her scent lingering throughout his cave.

Natsu stood and reached down for his shirt. Wait, had he taken it off last night? Tying the knots around his neck and waist, he thought, no wonder she wasn't in here anymore. Some man you just met (that had kidnapped you) taking off his clothes while he slept next to you? Yeah, he'd leave too.

He walked through the dirt halls, noticing the sunshine that was coming through the entrance, and followed her scent outside. The sun was bright, and he had to squint his eyes, but he knew instantly that she was not here.

A blast of disappointment ran through him, and he fought the urge to take off down the mountain path and follow her. She was going to leave at some point, he knew that. But he didn't even get to say goodbye, that he was sorry.

Natsu walked over and sat on the log he had made into a bench. As he stared at the fire pit in front of him, he figured he didn't even deserve that much. She was a Princess, and he was an outcast, a freak, a thing that shouldn't have even been born. There was no way anyone would be able to stay around him for any length of time, even on good terms. His father hadn't; in fact, his father had them living in the shadows of a mountain similar to this one, keeping him heavily clothed whenever he was forced to travel into the nearby town. So even Lucy, with her good heart and sadistically understanding ways, shouldn't be expected to stay around long.

Still...what if she couldn't find the way back to her town? What if she got hurt, or attacked by an animal? What if someone found her and tried to take her?

He had to know she was at least okay, even if he couldn't talk to her. Jumping up, Natsu ran back into the cave, scanning the floor. He wasn't sure where he dropped his cloak last night, but he did remember waiting until he got here to throw it off. He walked throughout his entire floor plan, looking in every corner, but his cloak was nowhere to be found.

Weird. And a little unnerving. But he couldn't sit and wonder about it. Lucy might be in trouble, and he had to ease his mind with her safety.

Grabbing his father's scarf off the floor next to his bed, he tied it around his head to hide his hair as best he could, and jogged out of his cave.

As he soon as he set foot on the path leading down the mountain, however, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Coming up the incline was a small figure completely draped in his cloak, hunching over, carrying a book in their arms and a large pack on their back. The figure looked up, and then stopped.

Natsu stared with wide eyes and his mouth hanging completely open as the hood was pulled back, revealing a head of beautiful, yet slightly sweaty, blonde hair, and a softly flushed face.

"Thank the Gods you're awake. I can't believe I made it all the way back up this mountain." Her voice was like a symphony to his ears. It was really her; she had really come back. Lucy began sliding the pack off her shoulders, the thing falling heavily onto the ground, her going down with it. She looked up at him from the ground, smiling gently. "I got your things."

Natsu jogged down to her, still completely shocked. He wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other to sling the pack over his shoulder, then stood up, bringing her up with him. She sighed and leaned against him. "Of course you would make it look so easy."

He really couldn't say anything. His head was still wrapping around the reality that she had come back, and he walked her over to the log-bench silently. Helping her sit down, he watched as she sighed heavily, then placed the book she was carrying down gently next to her. Unwrapping his cloak from her figure, she bent down and began rubbing one of her feet.

Wait a minute..."Are you-...why are you barefoot?" Lucy looked up at him.

"Well, my shoes were hurting my feet on the way down, and then I realized that they would have given me away in town. So I took them off halfway down the mountain and threw them in some high grass." She said this matter-of-factly, like he should have been able to come up with that reasoning on his own.

Finally, his brain started to work again. "Why wouldn't you want to be found out in town? Why did you think you had to come back?" He stood over her, realizing that his tone was somewhat accusatory, but he just couldn't comprehend this.

Lucy looked up at him incredulously. "I didn't think I _had_ to come back. I _wanted_ to come back. You said you forgot to get your things from the merchant last night, so I traveled down there to get them for you."

She pointed to the pack he was carrying, and Natsu slid it off his shoulder. It was the one he gave to the old man merchant last night, and it was extremely full. Setting the thing on the ground and resting on his haunches, he opened the top of the pack, only to see that it was filled with everything he had needed, and a few extra items the merchant obviously spared him. He looked back up at Lucy, shocked. She had traveled to the town to get him this?

She smiled at him again, and then continued to rub her feet. "You know, I thought climbing up and down the stairs at home was good exercise. Turns out I was sadly mistaken." She laughed to herself, switching her attention to her other foot. "I was going to make you kiss my feet after I got back, but honestly I wouldn't want to come near them if I were you."

His instincts kicked in once again, and he operated on autopilot as he jumped up and walked over to Lucy. He gave her no warning before he leaned down and tilted her chin up, crushing his lips against hers. She sighed against his lips, bringing her hand up and lacing her fingers in the hair on the back of his head.

Natsu pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers as he stared into her eyes. "Thank you, Lucy."

She smiled at him softly, sliding her hand from his hair to his cheek. His eyes slid over to the bench she was sitting on, to the leather-bound book that he just noticed was covered in pictures of dragons. "What's that?"

Lucy followed his gaze and reached over to grab it, suddenly excited. "Oh! As I was leaving I passed a library window that had a book about dragons on display. I went inside and talked to the keeper for a minute. She answered a few questions I had about dragons. Then-"

Natsu stopped her. "Questions about dragons? Why would you have questions about dragons?"

Lucy looked up at him. "Well...probably because I had just met a man with dragon qualities." Her eyes slid behind him, to his wings, then back to his face. "Anyway, she told me that dragons have magic and would often curse the dragon slayers who killed them. Then she gave me this book, which is supposed to have a lot of information about slayers and dragons and their magic." She looked back down at the book, stroking the cover gently. "I figured we could read it together. Maybe you could even learn more about yourself."

He opened his mouth to tell her that he knew everything he wanted to know about that side of him, that he wasn't interested in learning more about how much of a monster he was, but her stomach interrupted him by growling loudly. She looked up at him with pink cheeks, laughing slightly.

"I guess it has been a while since I've eaten."

Natsu smiled at her. "Just let me start a fire."

He got busy arranging the wood inside the fire pit, and then took out the new flint rock that was inside his pack. One of the things he had needed for a while. As he started the fire, he saw Lucy out of the corner of his eye, standing and trying to rearrange her now very worn and dirty dress. She walked over and gazed inside his pack, then picked out a long, and very sharp, knife.

"Do you mind if I use this?" She held it up carelessly in front of her, and Natsu's nerves started jumping.

"Uh...do you know how?"

She huffed at him, and then tossed it in the air. Her eyes stayed on his the entire time it spun in the air, and then she flawlessly caught the handle. Natsu was on his feet, his hands held out in front of him, sweat beading on his forehead, and she smiled at him. "I might be a Princess, and I might not have a lot of knowledge about surviving in the wilderness, but I'm not dumb. I've been practicing with all types of knives and swords since I was young."

He could do nothing but stare at her. On the list of things he should have expected from her, knowing how to wield a knife was definitely not on it. She just continued to surprise him in the most unexpected and good ways. Straightening up, then returning to a crouch in front of the fire, he cleared his throat. "Go ahead, just uh...be careful." Lucy laughed at him then took the knife with her as she went back inside the cave.

Natsu spent the next twenty minutes building the fire enough to be able to cook over it, then took out the new bow string that was in his pack. Fetching his bow from just inside the cave, he sat on the log and began restringing it. His mind was completely occupied with the task, his concentration on his fingers as he expertly checked the string, then wrapped it around each end of his bow. He had been hunting with a knife for the past few weeks, which he was good at, but he had only been able to catch small game. The larger animals were faster, and harder to kill up close.

As he was finishing, making sure the string was taut and even with his sights, he heard Lucy's footsteps coming near. He looked up, and froze. The sunlight was beaming on her, making all the newly shown skin gleam. She had cut the skirt of her ball gown, and now the better part of her toned thighs were bare. The half-sleeves were completely gone, showing off her shoulders and collarbone. She had strung a small piece of fabric through the middle of her collar, right at the apex of her breasts, which she tied behind her neck. Her feet were now wrapped in the white sash that had previously occupied her waist, creating a soft barrier between them and the ground. Her hair was separated into two, parted down the middle, tied back behind her ears.

Lucy looked over at him and smiled, holding up the knife she had taken earlier. "It was the best I could do. But I'm definitely more comfortable now, and a lot cooler."

"It's uh...you look...good job." Natsu had no clue what to say, so he just looked back down and started nicking his arrows. Lucy sat down next to him.

"What are you doing?"

"The arrows fly faster and quieter if I put these marks on them."

"Does it really make a difference?"

"You'll see."

"What?"

Natsu looked over at her and smiled. "Have you ever shot a bow before?"

* * *

**D'aww, he's gonna take her hunting. How...sweet?**

**Leave me love, leave me hate, doesn't matter, just leave me something! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Wow, ok. So I was actually going to make this chapter much, much longer, but then I realized that it would probably take me another couple of days to complete it and I wanted to give you guys something to read much sooner than that. If I had stuck through with my original plan, in this POV, it would also mean that next chapter would be extremely short, and I don't like doing that to you guys.  
**

**Also, I was a little hasty in uploading it, and I didn't really spend a lot of time proofreading, cause I have been a busybusy bee this week, so forgive me for any errors you see.**

**And finally, enjoy this chapter, cause I'm pretty sure you will all start to hate me soon.**

**(Warning, Natsu has a potty mouth.)**

* * *

As it turned out, Lucy's new dress adjustments were not fit for climbing trees. But that didn't stop her, nor did it seem to bother Natsu. Well, maybe it had, but he had kept ahead of her the entire time, gently leading her through the woods by her hand. When they reached a large tree some time later, he had climbed up first, showing her the spots to place her hands and feet. Even though she remembered climbing trees in the garden when she was little, she had never climbed one this large, and he had to reach down and pull her up halfway through. Now she was sitting next to him, her feet tucked underneath her in an awkward way as he was crouched next to her, his wings folded in as much as possible on his back, his tail wrapped around the front of his feet, leaning forward slightly as he scanned the forest around them.

She had the sense to stay quiet, because really, what animal would wander near when there was a bunch of noises being made, but she was starting to get nervous/excited. As well as hungrier and hungrier. She hoped that Natsu was an excellent hunter, but then realized that he kind of had to be to have lived on his own for this long.

He turned to her suddenly, smiling as he held out his bow. "Are you ready?" His voice was as soft as a whisper, and even though she heard him perfectly, she was completely confused.

"Ready for what?"

He took her hand and placed his bow in it, and the long piece of wood turned out to be heavier than it looked. "You see those two trees back there that look like they're making an X?" He leaned into her and pointed out into the distance, and she followed his gaze and gesture to see exactly what he had described: two trees that were leaning over on opposite sides, creating an X with their trunks. "You're going to aim for the middle of those two trees."

She held the bow in her hands, staring at him incredulously. "What do you mean, I'm going to aim for it? I don't know how to shoot a bow." She tried her hardest to keep her voice a whisper, but it was hard to keep the slight panic out of her tone.

Natsu smiled at her. "I know; I'm going to teach you. Here, keep the arrows on your lap; they're easier to grab if they're in front of you." He sat the quiver of arrows across her legs, and then started to manipulate her hands. "Grab the bow right in the middle, with your finger just underneath this mark right here. That's where your arrows will be placed, and your finger can help keep it steady if you're just starting out." His hand closed over hers gently, showing her exactly what he wanted from her. He looked up at her, and then scanned her body quickly. "You need to turn your body this way, it's easier to aim." He stood up as he talked, grabbing a branch above her head and swinging around. He landed softly behind her, then grabbed her shoulders and adjusted her position.

"Why is it easier to aim when you're turned sideways?" Lucy knew her voice was a little shaky, but with all the touching that was going on, on his end, she couldn't help it.

"It's easier to stay steady, and you can pull your arm back more comfortably." He placed his hand on the small of her back, and she had to stop herself from gasping. "Keep your back straight, but relaxed. Lift your chest up as much as you can while keeping your back relaxed; try not to tense up." She followed his directions as best as possible, and she must have been doing a good job because she heard him hum his approval. He removed his hand from her back, placing it on her empty hand and guided her fingers to the bowstring. "Now, when you draw back, you're going to take a slow, deep breath in, and hold it."

Lucy was thankful for the opportunity to take a deep breath, because at the moment Natsu was flush against her back, his hands grasping hers, his cheek practically against hers. She closed her eyes briefly, opened them, then started to take a deep breath. As she did, he guided the hand that was holding the bow up, and at the same time helped her pull back the string. "Don't tighten your muscles in your arms too much, just keep it straight and relax." His mouth was warm against her ear, and his whispered words sent a shiver down her spine. "Before you let go, start to release the breath you took, then release the arrow." She slowly let out her breath, and then she and Natsu released the string together. "Perfect." He reached down into her lap, absently grazing the top of her thigh as he pulled an arrow from the quiver and handed it to her. "Now let's try with an arrow."

She was pretty sure she was going to end up snapping the bow, or dropping the arrow out of the tree, because of how wound up he was making her. Was he even aware of the things he was doing, or was he just trying to be a good teacher? She took the arrow and placed it on the string, and Natsu fixed the placement for her, then removed his hands from her completely. "Look at your target before you draw back, focus on it, think about where the arrow needs to go." Lucy stared at the trees, mentally marking the spot she wanted her arrow to hit. She took a deep breath and lifted the bow, drawing back the string. She held her breath and aimed, keeping the arrow in her line of sight as she adjusted the angle of her stance. When she thought she had a good aim on the trees, she started to exhale, and then allowed her fingers to slip off the string. Her arrow went flying through the woods, but she didn't see where it had landed. As she let go, she felt Natsu wrap his arm around her waist, then saw him lean forward out of the corner of her eye. Lucy turned her head to stare at him, relishing in the fact that he had had his hands on her the whole time they had been up here.

"Damn Lucy, you're a natural." Lucy stared at Natsu's profile, not really paying attention to what he was saying, but memorizing his features. His slightly slanted eyes were squinting as his mouth was drawn back in his intoxicating smile. His teeth looked sharp, especially the pointed canines that always seemed to be breaking into his bottom lip. His tanned skin looked rough to the touch, but Lucy knew firsthand that it was smooth and always warm. Suddenly, his black eyes slid over to hers, and he turned his head to face her.

She figured she should be embarrassed, but she wasn't. The only thing she was feeling was what felt like butterflies turning in her stomach, and a slight excitement that had nothing to do with running from guards, or traveling to town on her own, or shooting a bow for the first time, and everything to do with him. She grew up reading about love at first sight, and how the princesses felt an immediate connection to her princely hero, but she never took any stock in it. She knew that love had to be grown, that it had to be built upon a foundation of trust and security. But looking at him right now, she felt all of her earlier beliefs fly away.

Natsu's eyes slid down to her mouth, then grazed back up her face. His smile was gone, but his eyes were burning, hopefully with the same passion she was feeling. Lucy reflexively licked her lips, and his gaze immediately went back to her mouth. They were already so close, it would only take a small effort to lean forward and close the distance between them. Natsu's hand was still around her waist, and she felt him squeeze her slightly, before moving forward.

A branch breaking in the distance ruined the moment, and his head shot to the sight of the sound. Following his gaze, Lucy saw that a deer had ventured into the same area she had just shot at. It was grazing nonchalantly, obviously unaware that they were near and armed.

"Lucy, you can do this." His voice was even quieter than before, and full of confidence for her. Without taking too much time to think about the weight he was putting on her, or about how rude it was for this deer to interrupt that special moment between them, she stared at her target, picking up an arrow from her lap and setting it against the string. Following his advice earlier, she took a deep, surprisingly steady breath, and drew the bow. She held her breath, lining the tip of the arrow with the animal still grazing ahead of her. Releasing her breath slowly, she let go of the string and watched her arrow fly.

The arrow hit the deer in the side, in the middle of the chest, and Lucy watched as it faltered to the side. Excited that she had hit her target, she didn't notice that Natsu was not sitting next to her until she heard the crunching of sticks sound off in front of her. He had jumped off the tree, which was a good twenty feet in the air, and started racing for the animal, which was trying to stand up and run. Lucy watched shocked as he moved with lightening speed across the foliage, his wings spanned out behind him, the knife she had used earlier in one hand. Natsu jumped over a fallen tree, and used the momentum to land on the deer, plunging the knife into its chest and twisting sharply.

The deer twitched once, then fell completely lifeless. Lucy stared at the work that had been done, supposing she should feel grief for the animal that she had a part in slaying. But this was the food chain, wasn't it? She ate meats at home every day. This was really no different.

Natsu stood up and turned to face her. As he started to walk back to their perch, Lucy started to climb down. She hit the grass and turned around just in time to see that he was inches from her.

Natsu kept walking forward, effectively pushing her against the tree, leaned down and kissed her hard. She gasped hard, and he opened his mouth to swallow it. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth briefly, and she instinctively pushed her own against his. She heard him moan, then felt as he pushed his chest harder against hers. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and she heard him place one of his against the bark of the tree by her head. Their tongues battled for a few more minutes, until they were out of breath. He was the one to pull away, and when he did he placed the hand holding the knife against the tree, on the other side of her.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let that opportunity completely slip away. The deer or the kiss."

Lucy laughed. "Well, I'm glad. For both of those things."

Natsu smiled, and she watched as he moved his hand towards her face. Before he made contact, however, his eyes slid over to his hand, and suddenly his smile disappeared. He dropped both of his hands to his side and leaned back. Lucy opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but he interrupted her. "We should head back. It will take me a little while to prepare the meat to cook, and the sun will be setting soon."

Confused, Lucy simply nodded her head at him, and he turned and made his way back to the fallen deer.

They walked back in silence, her carrying the bow and quiver, him carrying the deer. Once they reached his cave, Natsu dropped the animal by the fire and went inside, bringing out a few different sized knives. Lucy sat the weapon down and began examining herself, realizing how dirty she was. But she guessed that was to be expected, staying in a cave and walking through a forest.

"Do you want to clean up?" Lucy jumped, not realizing that Natsu was standing right in front of her. He smiled lightly at her.

"Yes, actually, that would be nice."

"There's a brook on the other side of the mountain. I'll show you the way down there, and you can wash up while I prepare our food."

Lucy smiled back at him, "Sounds great." She reached out to grab his hand, wanting to feel the closeness they had had earlier that day again, but he pulled back from her.

He walked around her, avoiding her eyes. "It's not far. I promise." Lucy stared at his winged back for a few seconds, confusion and hurt blossoming inside her. Was he ready for her to leave? Was he starting to regret her presence and their kiss? She followed him around a narrow path, and as soon as she reached the back side of the mountain she saw the brook. The nearest side had been cleared of trees, whether from Natsu's own doing or natures. The stream started high, then fell down a staircase of rocks into a small pool of water, which looked crystal clear.

"I hope this is ok for you." Lucy turned to Natsu, who was looking at her like he was waiting for her approval yet knew he wasn't going to get it. She wasn't sure where this new attitude was coming from, but she already missed the Natsu from earlier.

She walked up to him, and as he tried to take a step back, she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. She leaned forward quickly and smashed her lips against his, hoping her point was coming across quite clear. _Don't back away from me now. _

When she pulled back, his eyes were open wide, staring at her incredulously. "It's perfect. And it's beautiful. Thank you." Lucy smiled at him, then turned and started walking towards the water. She stood at the edge of water, contemplating whether she should get in with her clothes on and wash them all together or ask for something else to change in to.

Figuring that asking for more clothes would probably put him back into his "little mood", Lucy began walking into the water. It was warm, and she had no trouble sinking into the depths and submerging herself completely. While she was under the water, she untied the cloth in her hair, releasing both of the sections. Her fingers combed through the long strands, releasing all of the dirt and oil that had to have been accumulating within them. She stood, breaking through the top of the water and flipping her hair back behind her. Oh, yes. She already felt better. Turning around, her eyes fell upon Natsu, who was still standing where she had left him, staring at her with an open mouth and wide, burning eyes.

He looked away quickly, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his head. "You'll uh," he cleared his throat, "You'll be safe out here. I'll just be right up the path, if you need me to help- I mean...if you need something, just yell." He peeked up at her through his eyelashes, and she smiled at him. His bashful, boyishness was back (at least for now), and he was obviously embarrassed about something. Natsu smiled back at her, then quickly turned around and started jogging back up the short path, disappearing as he turned the corner towards the fire.

Lucy dipped her body back into the water and stared at where Natsu had just disappeared. She thought about Natsu and how he had been acting the night before and all this day, changing from what seemed like guilt, to anger, to resentment and then sorrow, all seemingly aimed at himself. Then there were moments when he would be playful, lustful, and carefree. He obviously didn't know how to balance his emotions. She kept forgetting that he had been living alone for the majority of his life, that he had very limited experience with other people. Especially with members of the opposite sex.

The epiphany hit her like a boulder. He didn't know how to react to what he was feeling with her. And all the comments earlier about how she didn't _have_ to come back? He thought he had forced her here. He probably thought he had kidnapped her. In his mind, there could be no way that someone would actually _want_ to stay around him, because no one ever had. His own father apparently abandoned him. And now there was a Princess who was hanging around, getting close to him, kissing him, _wanting _to stay? Natsu's mind was on overload, and the years of his self-loathing were probably weighing down on him heavily.

What could she do to help him? Obviously, she wanted to stay with him, but she couldn't just run away from her life forever. She always knew she would go back, but she also knew that when she did, her father would make sure she never got another chance to leave. So what would be the point in telling him that she would never leave him if her father would ensure that she would never see him again?

Sighing, Lucy dipped her head back into the water. There were so many things to think about right now, but honestly the only subject that mattered to her was Natsu. She would cross the bridge with her father when she came upon it. Right now, she just wanted to make Natsu feel like a human again.

She stood up, intent on getting out and making her way back up the path, but as she looked down she realized that her clothes were still filthy. Well, since she was here, alone...

Lucy dipped into the water, up to her neck, and began unstrapping her clothing. As she brought the pieces of her ball gown out of the water, she felt so much better. She had never taken a bath with clothes on before, and now that the water was cleansing every part of her she felt so much cleaner and more relaxed. Looking around, she saw a large rock on the side of the pool, lying perfectly in the sun. A great place to dry her clothes. She waded over, careful to keep the water at neck level, and set them out flat to dry. The sun would take a little time to dry them, so Lucy sat against the rocks and leaned her head back. The clouds slowly moving ahead of her in the sky mesmerized her, and the sounds of rushing water calmed her. She laid there for a while, not realizing how much time had passed.

Finally, she opened her eyes (when had she closed them?) and looked behind her. Her clothes had dried, and Natsu was probably done cooking by now. She stood up and reached for her top.

A loud clanging sounded out behind her, and she reflexively spun around. Natsu stood at the other edge of the pool, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open yet again. A huge iron pot sat by his feet on its side. Lucy yelped and collapsed back into the water.

Natsu blinked then spun around quickly, so quickly that his wings nearly knocked him off balance as they sliced through the air behind him. "Fuck, Lucy, I'm so...I didn't mean to...Gods, I'm so sorry. I just- I needed water and I thought...dammit, I didn't realize you were..." Lucy would have thought his stumbling speech was cute, had she not been so embarrassed her flushed skin could have been heating the water around her.

"I-it's ok." (Was it? He just saw her completely nude!) "I'm back in the water now, so..."

Natsu turned back around slowly, keeping his eyes on the ground. He picked up the pot and moved to the water, squatting down to dip the pot in and fill it up. The part of his face that she could see was bright red, and that made her feel a little better, knowing that he was as embarrassed as she was. He stood back up and turned around quickly again.

"I uh...I'll be back up there so you can...yeah." He started rushing forward, and within seconds he was back up the path and around the curve.

Lucy stared straight ahead for a few more minutes, letting her shock and embarrassment wash through her. Groaning, she sank all the way back into the water.

Well, that was one way to help him feel like a human again, if not like a full-grown man.

* * *

**So many new things for the both of them: Lucy shoots a bow, Natsu sees a naked girl...**

**I am absolutely loving the feedback from you guys, so please: leave me love, leave me hate, doesn't matter, just leave me something!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I have had a few people ask if I could make my chapters longer. I really, really, _really_ try, but they just seem to not come out very long. I like to have one POV per chapter, and usually it doesn't take long to get their point across and the events told through their voice. BUT - this entire story so far has taken place in less than 24 hours, so if you think about it, 10 chapters that take place over a DAY is pretty long. Anyway, I really am sorry if the chapters aren't as long as you would like them to be, but that's all that I can give.**

**With that said, here is a LONG chapter, and I really hope you don't hate me at the end.  
**

* * *

"I do not understand how this is still an issue. It has been almost twenty-four hours, and there has still been no word or sight of her?" The King of Magnolia stood at the window behind his regal desk, facing the room that was filled with various different people with a look of boredom. Three of the Royal Guard's captains were kneeling in front of the desk, their heads bowed close to the floor in shame. Two female attendants stood by either side of the door at the other end of the long room, their eyes glued to the floor to hide the look of dismay on their faces. The King's message courier stood to the left side of him, clenching a piece of paper in his hands so tight there would be no way to write upon it later. Several plush chairs were lined along the sides of the room, allowing the many guests that had been present this past day a place to sit and talk about strategy. The King of Crocus was occupying one of them right now, his right leg crossed over his left knee, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair as his fingers rested on his chin. His mouth was drawn down in a frown, but his shrewd eyes showed humor in their depths.

Of course, he was the only one who really noticed each individual facial expression, each individual emotion concerning the matter at hand. The problem...that he caused. Gray stood against the wall, opposite of his father. His arms were crossed across his chest, and he was careful to keep his face as neutral as possible. If he let any one of his emotions show: anger at the King for not showing enough concern that his daughter was missing, disgust at his father for thinking this was a delightful turn of events for his amusement, shame at himself for being the reason this was even happening, then it would create even more chaos and the importance of finding Lucy would be pushed back for even longer.

"We have given the description of the man all over town, asking if it sounds familiar, and no one has come forward with any information." The middle captain spoke quietly, and the King narrowed his gaze at him.

"And you left out that he was kidnapping the Princess, correct?"

"Of course, your majesty."

The King turned around and stared out the window. "Good. The last thing I need is for this to go public. Can you imagine what the other hierarchies would think?"

Gray stared at the King's back, absolutely disgusted that he was more worried about his public image than the safety of Lucy. He couldn't help the scowl that formed on his face, and as he turned to stare straight ahead, he saw his father looking over at him. His eyes were squinted in curiosity, like he couldn't figure out what exactly his son was thinking. Good. He lived for moments that he could confuse or upset his father.

Just then, an urgent sounding knock came upon the study's door, and the King turned around to nod at one of the attendants by it. She hurriedly opened the door, and a knight rushed through. The three captains stood and greeted the solider, who dropped to a knee in front of them.

He was completely out of breath. "Your majesty, my captains, I have word about the cloaked man."

The captains turned to their King, who nodded in return. The middle captain once again spoke for the group. "At ease, and speak true, solider."

The soldier raised his head. "There were sightings of him earlier this day in the markets. I received testimony from a merchant that they saw someone fitting the description wandering the square, and then later crossing back over the bridge with a large pack and a book in his hands."

"A large pack...and a book?" The captains shared a look with each other, and everyone was silent as they contemplated the meaning.

But Gray had had enough. "Your highness, please, allow me to investigate this lead." He stood up off the wall and walked to the middle of the room, still trying to conceal his emotions. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, and after a minute his father chuckled softly.

"It looks as if the deal between our two nations worked out more smoothly than we thought, Jude. He is worried for his bride." Silver stood and joined his son, resting his hand on Gray's shoulder. "You _are_ an excellent tracker and huntsman. Perhaps we should give you the opportunity to use your skills."

Gray stared ahead at King Jude, waiting for his response. Finally, he nodded his head. "Do what needs must. You have permission to use the Royal Guard as you need them." He turned to face the window once more, and Gray shook off the contact from his father. He turned to look at him for a split second, then walked towards the door. The attendants hurriedly opened them for him, and he gave them a small smile of thanks.

He exited the room and immediately turned right, aiming for the stairs that would lead him straight out the palace doors. His own personal attendant, and perpetual best friend who was waiting outside of the study, joined him in silence. Gray knew that the man wanted to know what was going on, but also knew that he was smart enough to wait until they were completely alone to talk freely. They continued on until they were greeted by another set of attendants, who promptly opened the great main doors and let them outside.

"So. The good ol' King still being a self-obsessed ass?"

Gray didn't bother looking over at his old friend, just continued to stare ahead at the gates that would lead them to town. "Of course. Absolutely zero concern for her actual safety, and absolutely obsessed with his personal image. Good news is they left me in charge from now on. So I can do things my way."

"Wasn't it 'your way' that started all of this?" Gray stopped walking and stared at the man's back, until he stopped and turned around. His friend sighed, which was the closest thing to an apology he was going to get from him. "You couldn't have predicted that some random traveler was going to snatch her up five minutes after she left the palace. All she wanted was a little bit of freedom. If anything, it's her father's fault for keeping her contained like an animal. You know this wouldn't have happened if she had been able to be amongst the people like a real Princess."

Gray couldn't help but feel slightly better, which was one of the reasons why he kept Loke around. His knack for seeing the deep truth and logic behind everything was unmatched. He continued walking towards the gates, "I just want to know she's alright. Maybe you should send a message to _her_. There has to be something she could help us with. "

Loke laughed. "She's a witch, not a seer. There's not much she can do all the way back in Crocus. And I know you don't want to ask your lover to do a locator spell on your fiancé." Gray couldn't argue with that, so he stayed quiet. Loke sighed in response. "What did the guard who came running up the stairs and into the room have to say?"

"He found someone who had seen the cloaked man earlier today. Apparently he was wandering around the markets and then later left with a huge pack and a book."

Loke looked over at Gray, confused. "A book? What the hell does that mean?"

"I'm not sure. But if he didn't have a book when he entered the town, then he must have visited the book stores. I figured that'd be our first stop."

They finally reached the gates, and waited as they were opened to let them out into the town. Gray was already dressed moderately, which allowed him to cross through the streets without much attention. Loke, on the other hand, gained the eyes of almost every female they passed, which was not unusual. His long orange hair was spiked all over his head, with two sections falling over his cheeks and framing his face. His hazel eyes were soft and helped set off his boyish looks. Gray never required him to dress any certain way, but Loke always wore a suit anyway. The black jacket was kept open, his red tie always wrinkle free and kept perfectly in the center of his chest.

It was nothing new for Gray to hear the gasps of women as they passed them, so he pushed through the diminishing crowds, looking for any stores that sold books. The sun was starting to set, its golden rays turning red and orange in the sky, and Gray was desperate to find at least one small lead on Lucy before nightfall.

Finally, they came upon a window that was filled with books, and Gray took one look at Loke before going through the door. A bell sounded off their entrance, and a small blue-haired woman standing behind the counter looked up to greet them. She reminded him slightly of his own blue-haired woman, back home, and he had to fight the urge to feel homesick. Loke, always the smooth and courteous one, spoke first. "Good evening, miss. We were wondering if you could help us. We've seemed to have mislocated a friend of ours, and we were wondering if you had seen him this day."

The woman smiled at him, nothing but courteousness shining out of her eyes. "I'd be happy to help you; what does your friend look like?"

Gray stepped forward, "Actually, he's most recognizable from the clothes he wears. He was donning a large cloak, which most likely covered his entire body, including his face." The woman immediately lost her smile, and Gray was worried that they were going to lose this lead from her panic.

Loke immediately stepped forward, laughing. "He's terribly ashamed of his hair, but refuses to let us help him with it. Anyway, we heard he was last seen carrying a book, so we figured we would check the book stores and see if they could help us figure out where he went off to this time." He was incredibly good at working his charm and making people feel at ease enough to get what they wanted. The woman, however, just stared at the two of them, with confusion and doubt on her face.

"I haven't had any male customers today. There was a woman who came in earlier, dressed in a cloak, who asked for information and then loaned out a book, but that has been all today."

Gray went cold. "A woman? Can you describe her?"

The librarian looked at the both of them for a short time, and then crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry, but I have a feeling that you're lying to me. If you can't tell me the truth, then I can't tell you what I know."

Gray sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. "For your own concern, we can't tell you the truth. But we are looking for a cloaked figure, and any information you can give us will help out exponentially."

She stared at him for a minute longer, then sighed. "I don't know what she looked like; I only know it was a woman based off her voice. The hood was covering her hair and face. She came in carrying a large pack, and asked about...a few things. We talked for a short time, I loaned her a book on the subject, then she-...then she left."

Loke immediately spoke up, obviously picking up on the things she was leaving out. "What kind of information was she looking for?"

The woman began fiddling with the book lying on the counter. "Well...she came asking about dragons."

Gray looked over at Loke, sharing a confused look with his friend. "What exactly about dragons did she want to know?"

"We talked about how they have magic powers, how they would curse dragon slayers, what kinds of curses they would give. She asked if there were any instances where a dragon slayer was cursed with a dragon offspring. Then I loaned her a book that had the most knowledge about dragons, she...gave me a gift, and then left."

He felt as if the air had thickened, and suddenly his heart started beating rapidly in his chest. He knew without looking that Loke was as stock still as he was, the two of them instantly getting a terrifying idea of what had happened. Swallowing an enormous lump in his throat, Gray tried to keep his voice monotone and calm. "This is very important, miss. What kind of gift did she give you?"

The silence weighed heavily between the three of them, but the woman finally answered. "She...she gave me a pouch full of red dragon scales." Loke looked over at Gray, and he nodded. The situation just turned even more dire than it already had been, and there was absolutely no more time to waste.

Loke turned back to the librarian and smiled. "Thank you. You have helped us enormously. Have a good evening, miss."

They both turned and headed towards the door, but a small voice behind them stopped them. "Is she-...is she in danger?"

Gray looked at his best friend, who met his eyes for a second before turning his charm back on the woman. "I assure you, you did a wonderful thing by telling us everything. She will be just fine."

They exited the library and stood silent outside of the shop for a moment. Everything the shop keeper had told them ran through his head, and he turned to Loke. "Send the message. Tell her everything we've just learned. We might need...we're going to need their help."

Loke nodded his head, "What are you going to do?"

His best friend knew him way too well. Gray looked to his left, eyeing the bridge and the trails and woods beyond it. "I'm going to re-search the area. If they were inside the town earlier today after disappearing last night, then he couldn't have gotten far with her."

"Don't even think about engaging, Gray. You know as well as I do what that thing is capable of."

Gray looked over at his best friend, thankful that he had someone like him watching his back. "I'll meet you on the bridge in an hour. Send that message."

They parted ways: Loke towards the palace, Gray towards the bridge, and he only hoped that they weren't too late.

* * *

The sun was still peeking over the land when Lucy emerged from the brook, the orange and reds streaking through the sky like fire. Natsu kept himself busy with roasting the meats, not sure whether looking at her would be acceptable anymore. He couldn't believe what he had done, nor could he remove the image from his mind. It had taken him a long time to convince a certain body part to retreat, and he was thankful Lucy decided to stay away long enough so that she didn't see it.

She walked over to the log bench and sat down, and Natsu noticed her playing with her hair. They sat like this awkwardly for a few moments, before finally she sighed.

"I know it was an accident, so you don't have to be ashamed of yourself. Let's just...move on, I don't like awkward silences." Natsu peeked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing that she was staring at him with no ounce of embarrassment and every bit of frustration. He wasn't sure why she wasn't beating him with a stick, trying to force head trauma so that he couldn't remember what he had seen. But if she wanted to move on, then he would try.

He looked back into the fire, turning the meats over one last time. "I really am sorry. If I had known-"

"I know, you never would have come down there. I accept your apology, can we just move on?" Lucy interrupted him, and he couldn't help looking over at her. She was too good to him, and he didn't really understand it. But the least he could do for her in return was obey her wishes, so he nodded at her and turned back to the fire. The meat was done cooking, and he looked around him for the pieces of metal he used for plates. "Here."

Lucy stood up, holding the plates. He smiled at her as she walked over to him, and he reached in the fire to grab the meats.

"Natsu!" Her shout made him jump, and he rushed to her side, instantly scanning for whatever threat made her scream like that. Instead of finding anything, however, she reached out and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her face and inspecting it carefully.

"What...are you doing?" He watched confused as she continued to turn his hand over and over.

"You just stuck your hand into the fire! How are you not hurt?"

Natsu couldn't help but laugh, and she gave him a stern look. "Lucy, my body randomly produces fire on its own. It doesn't hurt me." Her face instantly changed from stern to realization to slight embarrassment. She released his hand and shoved the plates into his chest. He laughed even harder.

"Well. Ok then." Turning around, she sat back on the bench and folded her hands in her lap. Natsu turned back to the fire, reaching back in and grabbing the meat. He held up his hand to show her that it was still fine, not charred or in flames, and she scowled at him. Laughing, he handed her the plate and sat down next to her.

They ate in silence for a time, and the sun continued to set in the sky. As the last rays were drowned in the landscape, Lucy looked over at Natsu.

"So, that book is supposed to have all the information there is about dragons." Natsu stayed silent, his appetite suddenly gone. He knew that she was staring at him, but he couldn't look at her. He stared at the flames inside the fire pit, hoping she would come to the conclusion that he didn't want to talk about this on her own. Of course, she didn't. "I thought we could go over what was in there together, learn something new. I've always wanted to know about dragons, and I'm sure you want to know more-"

"I don't want to know anything about dragons." He cut her off, knowing that his voice was rough, but unable to change it. He still couldn't look at her, but he knew he had shocked her, probably upset her.

"I just wanted to help you, Natsu." Her voice was soft, and he turned to look at her.

"Help me? How would it help me?"

"I don't know. Help you understand-"

"Understand? Understand what, exactly? That I have been cursed my entire life? That I can't be around people because I look like a monster? That I can't get close to someone because I'm afraid I will hurt them, or they will get looked at as a monster as well? My own father knew that I was ruining his life, and he got rid of me as soon as he could. The only thing I need to understand is how to live the rest of my life without anyone knowing that there are _things_ like me out there." Natsu watched as her eyes glistened and her entire face fell into sorrow. He couldn't take it. He stood and walked to the fire, standing so close to it that he could feel the flames trying to lick him.

Completely mesmerized by the flames, and without thinking, he started talking. "I remember living in a small shack in the woods. Just me and my father. When I was really small, he would leave me alone to go to the town, but only after I had fallen asleep. I only knew he would leave because I would wake up the second he came back. I would hear him running up to the house, then just launching himself into the room. He would stare at me for minutes, catching his breath, then walk through the house. I always just assumed it was because he missed me."

Natsu watched the smoke rise off the flames, caught in his memories. "I was about six. I didn't get to go to town much, but father needed me to help him carry a few extra things for him. My wings and tail were small then, and we could hide them beneath a large a jacket and big pants. He never told me why I had to hide them, but I assumed it was because the other kids would get jealous." He laughed lightly at his ignorance, his innocence. "Anyway, he told me to wait outside the store, and I saw a group of kids across the way sitting in a circle, telling stories. I walked over and listened for a few minutes. They were arguing over who was stronger: who had the biggest arms, who could carry the heaviest items, who can run faster. I said I could run faster than anyone, because of my wings. They started shouting at me, calling me a liar and saying I was strange. I got angry, and took off my jacket and showed my wings."

He closed his eyes, and he could still see everything clearly. The looks of horror on their faces, their screams, the adults gathering around them, the mothers crying. "One man grabbed me, and I watched as my father fought him. He grabbed hold of me, and I heard them shouting about how they didn't care what he used to be, that they would take care of the _thing_ if he didn't. He carried me back home, and then just...isolated himself for hours. Later, he came to me and strapped a bag on my back, dressed me in my least worn clothes, and then we went for a hike. He told me-" Natsu took a deep breath, realizing this is the first time he had ever actually talked about this. "He said that the town wanted me dead. And there was nothing he could do. So I closed my eyes and waited for my father to kill me. I was ready. I didn't want to hurt him anymore. But he didn't. He wrapped his scarf around my neck, and he left."

The night had fallen completely by now, the darkness wrapping around him. Which is exactly how it had felt that day; darkness had consumed his life, forever condemned him to walk in it to avoid everyone else.

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, staring into the fire, but after what seemed like ages he felt a small pair of arms wrap around his waist. Lucy pressed her chest into his back, laying her face against his shoulder blades, fitting perfectly in the space between his wings. Her arms wrapped around his stomach tightly. A surge of emotion ran through him, and he had to close his eyes against it.

"It doesn't sound like he was getting rid of you. It sounds like he didn't know how to protect you any longer. Like he loved you so much, he knew the only way to help you was to let you go." Her voice was the anchor he didn't know he needed, and he suddenly felt lighter. Maybe it was finally getting everything off his chest. Maybe it was her never ending goodness and comfort. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, and he placed his hands over hers. They stood there together for another immeasurable amount of time.

Finally, regrettably, they both let go at the same time. Lucy stepped back from him as he turned to face her. Her face was soft, a slight smile on her lips, and he reached out to trace her face with his fingers.

"So, that move you did after you jumped from the tree was pretty neat." Natsu stared at Lucy, amazed at her ability to completely surprise him. She smiled at him innocently, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you wanting to learn how to jump out of trees and attack random animals, or are you wanting to know how to attack an innocent person walking by?"

"Well, I've just been thinking. You obviously know how to take care of yourself. And I obviously don't. If I did, I could've at least fought off those men who cornered me in that alley." The memory of the night before flashed before his eyes, and he had to fight himself not to get angry at the thought. Lucy didn't notice a thing, however, and continued on. "I thought maybe...you could show me a few defensive moves. In case I ever need them again."

He stared at her hard, and the thought _you will never be in a situation like that again _passed through his mind, but he didn't voice it. There was no way he could promise something like that; he didn't even know how much time they had left before she made her way back home. But she was right. Maybe he couldn't protect her, be by her side, for very much longer, but he could teach her enough so that she could protect herself.

Natsu nodded, "Ok. But I'm not going to go easy on you."

Lucy laughed. "I would expect nothing less."

Natsu took her by her shoulders and guided her away from the fire, so that he didn't have to worry about her falling into it. Then, he started circling her, trying to think of her as anything but herself. He knew he wasn't going to strike her, but if he didn't stop thinking of how good she was, how innocent she was, then he would slow his movements and allow her to hit him on purpose, which would ultimately do nothing for her. As he circled her slowly, she kept her position, moving only her head to keep him in her sights. Which would have been good, if there were more than one of him.

He circled around her one more time, and then jumped her back. His arm wrapped around her neck, the other trapping one of hers on her side as it grasped her other to keep it in place. "You're against one opponent right now. Lesson one: never show your back." She huffed, and as she started trying to twist her way out of his hold he jumped back from her. This time, as he circled her, she followed him, turning around and keeping him in front of her. He smiled at her frustrated expression.

He jumped for her again, and this time she was able to keep her arms free. She pulled her arm back far, then turned her fist sideways and aimed for his head. He easily dodged the blow. "You're going to hurt yourself more than you will anyone else trying to punch like that." Natsu let go of her and grabbed her hand, maneuvering her fingers into a fist that wouldn't break her thumb if she ever made contact with something. "When you're in a situation like we just were, don't pull your fist back. Keep it against your chest-" He positioned her fist by her collarbone, then pushed himself against her again, "-and aim up, towards their chin." He helped guide her fist towards his jaw, "They most likely won't see what you're doing, and with enough force you can break their jaw and cause enough pain to escape."

Lucy watched what he was doing with her hand with clinical interest, and when he released her hand she flexed it opened and closed into a fist over and over. "Ok, I think I got it." She backed away from him, waiting for their next session to start.

They continued like this for a while: Natsu showing her new ways to get out of a hold, the best pressure points to hit to incapacitate someone long enough to escape. He had taken his shirt off in the midst of her "training", and she was panting from the exertion. She still hadn't landed a blow on him, but that wasn't through any fault of her own. His reflexes were quicker than an ordinary human, but if she learned how to fight someone like him, then everyone else would seem slow to her.

He was circling her again, trying to give her a minute to catch her breath. She followed his every movement, keeping him at her front and watching the way his feet moved. He jumped towards her, grabbing one of her arms and twisting it behind her back-

A branch broke to his left, and his head shot towards the sound.

"What was-" Suddenly, his jaw was thrust upwards, and pain blossomed in his face as his teeth smashed together. He stumbled back slightly, and then felt a rush as he was pushed to the ground, falling on his back.

"I did it! Oh my Gods, I hit you! Ha!" Natsu looked up at Lucy, who was standing over him, looking absolutely thrilled with herself. He looked back over to the left, trying to see through the darkness into the woods where he heard the sound before. There was nothing there: no rustling of leaves, no shadows moving through the dark. Maybe it had just been his imagination. "I can't believe it, I actually hit you! I didn't think you were ever going to let me land one!" He looked back up at her and tried to smile. His jaw protested immediately.

Natsu winced and rubbed his jaw. She caught the action, and her smile faded into concern. "Oh Gods, I _really _hit you. Are you ok?"

He laughed, the pain starting to disappear. "I'm fine. That was a good one. You caught me off guard." He picked himself off the ground and spared one more glance into the trees. Still, nothing. "We should call it a night. You did really well today, Lucy." Taking a few steps towards her and closing the distance between them, Natsu grabbed the hand she had hit him with and gently kissed her knuckles. "Shooting a bow, fighting off attacks, almost breaking someone's jaw..."

She smiled, "Getting peaked at while bathing..."

Natsu immediately dropped his smile, his embarrassment and shame surfacing once again. Lucy laughed.

"I'm just teasing. It really is alright. Come on," she threaded her fingers through his, "let's call it a night."

He let her lead him into the cave, and together they extinguished the lanterns and fell into his bed. Within minutes, they were asleep, both of them too exhausted to notice the shadow finally moving from its post in the woods.

* * *

His dreams were filled with so many things that night. Lucy was the focus of it all.

Natsu woke up that morning holding her, her back against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist, her hands holding tightly onto him. He would have been in bliss, but something was not right. It was like he could sense the air trembling, the wind howling in warning as it blew through the halls of the cave.

"Lucy." He shook her lightly, and then began to climb over her until he was squatting on the floor next to the bed. The ominous feeling that woke him was getting stronger, a feeling of dread starting to wash over him. "Lucy." He looked over at her sleeping form, shaking her again. She moaned lightly, and then opened her eyes.

The look on his face must have surprised her, and she sat up immediately. "What's wrong, Natsu?"

"There's something going on. I need you-"

The unmistakable sound of hooves closed in on them, followed by the sound of multiple swords being unsheathed and several shouts of men. Natsu grabbed Lucy forcefully and threw her behind him, just in time to see half a dozen men in armor rush into his bedroom.

They all stopped as soon as they saw him: his wings were spread as wide as they could go, helping his arms to block the view of Lucy behind him, and his tail was flicking back and forth on the ground between them. He knew his eyes were burning, and he could feel his skin warming greatly, the fires threatening to spill forth and start blazing across his body.

"My Gods-"

"It's a dragon-"

"He's cursed-"

"W-wings-"

"His eyes! Look at his eyes!"

Natsu growled, the deep sound reverberating throughout the room. "Get the hell out of here. Now."

The crowd of shocked soldiers parted, and a black haired man with dark blue eyes squinted in anger stepped forward, unsheathing a sword and pointing it straight at Natsu. "I suggest you don't make another move, or I will make sure it is your last."

Anger began to rise inside of him, a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he couldn't stop the flames from taking over his body. The heat blasted forward, forcing each one of the soldiers to cover their eyes, and then they were illuminated by the oranges and reds that were dancing from Natsu's skin. A small gasp sounded behind him, and one of the soldiers snapped to attention.

"Sir, she is here!"

All at once, they came forward; their swords were aiming straight for his chest, but he didn't care. He grabbed two of the sharp blades and yanked them towards him, forcing their masters to stumble closer. He kicked one with enough force to dent the armor covering his chest, then tossed the other to the other side of his room and against the wall. Two others flanked him, and he tossed the handled-end of one of the swords he had grabbed into the head of one of them, and then turned his head to prepare his attack on the other soldier flanking him.

The move cost him, and he was sliced shallowly across his chest from the front. He fell to his knees, shocked more than hurt from the cut, and that move cost him even more.

"Natsu!" Lucy's voice sounded out behind him, and he whipped his head around just in time to see the dark haired man grabbing her, trying to carry her out of the room with one of the soldiers.

"NO!" His shout echoed in his ears, and he launched at the two soldiers still standing in front of him, tackling them to the ground and knocking them out. He pushed to his feet and ran, following the man carrying Lucy, who was flailing in his arms, continuously shouting Natsu's name.

Another soldier met him before he reached the mouth of the cave, and Natsu spun to avoid his sword. His wings helped his momentum and he ended his spin behind the man, then grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the cavern wall.

He ran faster, but as the sunshine met him at the mouth of the cave, he watched as Lucy was thrown onto the back of a horse, her hands reaching out to him as an orange-haired man held onto her and guided the horse down the mountain at a run.

"LUCY!" Another half dozen soldiers surrounded him, but the flames dancing on his skin grew hotter, angrier, and they burst outward as he yelled out to her. The soldiers fell back, overwhelmed by his heat, and he started to run towards her-

A searing pain sliced through his abdomen, and he was immediately stopped in his path. The flames on his skin died instantly, and he looked down towards the source of pain.

A dagger was protruding from his stomach, fresh blood surrounding the blade and dropping to the ground. He watched as it was extracted, then looked up to stare at his assailant.

The dark haired man stared straight into his eyes, his face cold and unwavering.

Natsu fell unwillingly to his knees, his vision fading. The last thing he remembered was her name falling off his lips, and then the ground came up to meet him.

* * *

**...**

**Please don't hate me.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I didn't realize how busy I would be this weekend! So sorry for making you guys wait an extra few days for a new chapter! This chapter is a little short, and the next one is kind of short as well, so I figured I would post them together over the next couple of days. Chapter 13 might be posted later tonight, or tomorrow, depending on how quickly I can edit it and get it read-ready. **

**I hope you all still love me after what happened to Natsu last chapter. **

* * *

"Stop! I have to go back! They're going to hurt him! Please!" Lucy didn't care if the fall from the horse would injure her, she had to get away. The man had an iron-tight grip on her, and no matter how much she twisted and turned he wouldn't relent his hold. "Please, just let me go!"

The horse sped on, navigating its way down the mountain. "Princess, please, I'm only trying to get you to safety."

Lucy turned to stare at the orange-haired man. "I was already safe! He was never going to hurt me!"

"You don't know what he is capable of."

"I know exactly what he's capable of, and hurting me is not part of it! Let me go!" Lucy saw the bridge coming up on them, and she started twisting even more. She couldn't go back; she wasn't ready to go back. And not like this. Not forced away from Natsu, not leaving him to the mercy of the Royal Guards. The orange-haired man held on tightly, dismissing every move she made to get away from him like she wasn't even trying.

Lucy looked up and watched as the citizens of Magnolia parted the streets, clearing a path for the horse as it sped towards the palace. She realized that she would never get off the horse until she was set down on palace property, so as the gates came into view, she formulated her plan. The man looked down at her briefly, as if wondering why she had suddenly become so still, but as the gates opened for them and he slowed the horse to a trot, he focused again on the building in front of them. Multiple staff members were already waiting for them: her handmaidens, the cook, several of the cleaning staff, and, surprisingly, Master Makarov all stood outside of the main door, relief painted on almost all of their faces. Just as Lucy began to think luck was on her side, the doors opened, and her father appeared on the top step.

She didn't care. She was still going to try. The man pulled on the reins, and the horse stopped. A servant ran up to them and offered Lucy his hand. She took it and hopped off the horse.

Trying to mimic Natsu, she used the momentum from jumping off the horse to push her weight into the servant, who fell beneath her. Shouts erupted as she steadied her feet, then without looking back, she ran.

She didn't make it far. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and her feet were picked up from the ground. "Lucy, please. You're going to make this worse on you." The words were whispered in her ear, and she couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes.

She stared at the palace gates, willing them to come closer to her, to give her the freedom she had tasted and needed once again. "I don't care about me. They're going to kill him."

He had nothing to say to that, but he put her down anyway. She allowed herself to be led back towards the palace, her eyes unfocused and mind blank. They stopped as they reached the top step, and the orange-haired man let go of her to bow low.

"Your Majesty. She is unharmed."

Lucy looked up at her father, who had no expression on his face as he stared her down. After a few seconds, he nodded at the man bowing beside her. "Lucy. I am happy to see you are safe."

His words had hidden meanings spilling from them, his eyes shining in an unnaturally cruel way. The man beside her must have noticed the twang of warning in his voice as well, because his head snapped up unceremoniously to stare at the King. She didn't care though. She met his stare with a narrowed gaze and held her ground.

After a moment, her father stepped to the side, giving her silent permission to enter her own home. A guard came forth, ready to escort her. She had never had an escort in her own home before.

"Your Majesty. Please allow me to escort her to her room. I have seen her this far, it would be my privilege to make sure she is indeed safe and sound." Lucy looked over at the man, seeing a quiet desperation in the profile of his face that he was trying to hide.

Her father turned his glare onto him. "I have no further use of you. You may go back to your Prince. The Princess is in my care now, and she will be taken care of." He looked at the guard beside him, who then rushed forward and stood beside Lucy, grasping her elbow and effectively pushing the man down a couple steps. Lucy was guided forward into the palace, and as they crossed the threshold, the doors were promptly shut.

Lucy looked back just in time to see the man staring at her, his face painted in apprehension, and then the doors shut him, and the rest of the world, out of sight.

* * *

His name was Natsu. And Lucy didn't want to leave him.

As Gray walked behind the horse that was carrying the dragon-born, who was slumped over its back, tied up and unconscious, maybe close to death, he couldn't help hearing her cries for him over and over in his mind. She didn't look or seem injured, but it was too hard to tell with her fighting to get away from him. Actually, she seemed perfectly fine, not even dirty.

The whole situation just seemed odd to him. When the man had run in and reported that the Princess had been kidnapped, she had only been gone maybe twenty minutes. And he and Lucy had come up with their plan earlier that day, alone, so there was no way that someone could have been planning to take her as soon as she left. Then there was the fact that the three men that were unconscious in the alley were guests from the party, and that the man who had escaped couldn't provide a reason as to why they were all out in the town, exactly where the Princess had been. Add in how this man was protecting her, fighting for her, and how she was calling for him, trying to go back to him...

He couldn't help but feel something was very wrong about all of this.

"Your highness!" Gray looked up and saw that Loke was riding towards him quickly, a determined look on his face. The soldier holding the reins of the horse that was carrying the dragon-born stopped, and Gray walked over to make sure the blanket covering his wings and tail was secure before nodding at the soldier to continue. As the dragon-born was carried towards the palace, Loke stopped the horse next to him and jumped off. "Gray, I think we are going to have a problem."

"Yes, you are."

The voice came from behind him, and Gray whipped around...just in time to get punched square in the chest.

The blow was hard enough to knock the air from his lungs and send him down onto the ground. "You just let that soldier walk away with the dragon-born, didn't you?"

Gray sighed, then started to pick himself up. Out of all of them, she brought him? "Nice to see you too, Gajeel."

He looked at the tall, black-haired man, who was standing directly in front of him with his arms crossed across his chest, his red eyes squinted in obvious anger. Yeah, never hard to see which emotion he was feeling. Behind him, Gray saw blue hair blowing in the wind, and for the first time in days he felt excitement. She walked around Gajeel, and Gray opened his arms to embrace her-

Only to have her place her palm against the exact spot on his chest that was just hit, sending a shock wave through his body that made him double over in pain for a few seconds. "What was the point in sending a message to Juvia if you were only going to do something stupid before we arrived?" Once again, he composed himself and stood up straight. The love of his life was standing in front of him, between him and Gajeel like she was separating them from fighting. If he was asked, however, he was more afraid of her.

"I had to rescue the Princess. It was my fault she was taken in the first place."

The dragon-born of iron scoffed, "Yeah, well that seems to be a trend for you, because now it's your fault that one of my own was taken."

Gray opened his mouth to reply, but a small voice sounded out behind him.

"Excuse me?" He and Loke turned around to see the little blue-haired librarian that they had talked to the day before. She was wringing her hands in front of her chest nervously, her face drawn in worry. "That woman you were looking for yesterday. That was the Princess, wasn't it?" She looked back and forth between him and Loke, who simply nodded his head. Her face fell even further. "Was she-...is she alright?"

"She's safe and back at the palace. Actually, it was your information that helped us the most. Thank you." Gray felt Loke staring at him, and he turned to his friend.

Loke leaned in close, "That's actually what I was trying to tell you. I'm not so sure she is."

"Where did you get these?" Gajeel had moved faster than anyone had seen, and now stood next to the librarian as he plucked a pouch from her waist. She gasped, turning quickly and trying to grab it out of his hands.

"They were a gift! Give them back!"

"A gift? Do you even realize what these are?" His eyes narrowed at her as he kept them just out of her reach.

"Yes, of course I know what they are. They're very valuable to me, so please, give them back!"

Gajeel laugh coldly. "Of course they're valuable to you. They're worth a fortune."

The librarian scowled at him. "They have no monetary value to me, that's not what I meant."

"What are they, Gajeel?" Juvia stepped forward and Gajeel opened the top of the pouch, showing the collection of glistening red dragon scales. Juvia looked over at the librarian and smiled softly. "Would you mind if Juvia took one or two of those, miss?"

The girl snatched the pouch from Gajeel's hands, turning her scowl to a smile as she turned her gaze from him to Juvia. "No 'miss' please. I'm Levy. And no, I don't mind." Levy reached into the pouch and then handed two scales to Juvia, who immediately took out an empty alchemist's bottle and began crushing the scales into powder, pouring their remains into the bottle.

Gray had seen her do this plenty of times before, with many different dragon-born scales. Many witches could only manipulate the elements, often times without much success, but his Juvia knew how to actually _create_ the elements. Because of this, the dragon-born's had no problem giving her their fallen scales; it was always helpful to carry a bottle of their element with them in case they needed to "refuel".

While Juvia was busy creating a new potion, Levy was busy watching Juvia and Gajeel was distracted by Levy (odd, for him), Gray stepped away with Loke. "What do you mean; she's not safe at the palace?"

Loke ran his hands through his hair, a tic of his whenever he was nervous. "Her father was acting very strange, and I could hear the cruelty in his words. He had her escorted to her room by a guard, and wouldn't let me even enter the palace."

The feeling of something not being right came back upon him, and he looked back towards the palace. What is the King up to? Could he truly be so scornful that she escaped that he will punish her? He turned back to his most trusted friend. "Go back. Get inside that palace any way you can and look for her. Do whatever you have to, just locate her and make sure she is actually safe." Loke nodded once, then turned and jumped back on his horse. Gray watched him ride off back towards the palace gates, then looked back to the others.

Gajeel had his arms crossed over his chest, and was staring at the little librarian. As Juvia finished crushing the last scale, he scoffed. "I'm surprised you're ok with her destroying something worth so much coin."

Levy shot him another scowl, "I told you, I don't see them as coin. Dragons are fascinating creatures. I've always been enraptured by them."

Gray watched as his red eyes started to gleam. "Is that right?" Gajeel's lips curled up in a smile, showing his pointed teeth. Gray started to walk forward, to stop whatever was going on in the dragon-born's head from happening, but Juvia beat him to it.

"Gajeel." Her voice was sharp and full of authority, and Gajeel immediately backed down. "Levy, thank you for your help. Gray, Gajeel, we will be on our way now."

Levy nodded to them, and then the three left her behind as they started walking towards the palace. "They would have taken him to the dungeons." Gray pointed to the building just left of the main house, and Gajeel sighed.

"So. You said you had to rescue the Princess. Had he kidnapped her?" Gajeel was staring straight ahead, ignoring the many looks he was receiving from the townsfolk as they passed.

Gray wasn't sure how to answer that. "We were told that she had been taken. But...she wasn't injured. Actually, he was protecting her. And...she didn't seem to want to leave him."

It took Gray a couple seconds to realize that Gajeel had stopped, and he and Juvia stopped together to turn around and see him staring at them with an angry look on his face.

"So you stormed into a dragon-born's home, took away what is probably his mate, stabbed him, then sent her off into her psycho fathers arms and him into a fucking dungeon?" Gray opened his mouth to argue, but Gajeel stopped him. "Don't even try it. I can smell his blood all over your dagger, and in case you've forgotten, I have excellent hearing, and I heard everything you and Loke were saying." He continued walking, passing Gray, his red eyes glowing in anger. "You better hope Loke finds her. Because he's not going to leave without her."

Gray stared after him as everything he said echoed in his mind. He felt Juvia grasp his arm, then looked to see her deep blue eyes shining with determination. "We must hurry, my love. He doesn't have much time."

* * *

**Well, I guess there isn't much information about Natsu's well-being...**

**Maybe next chapter?  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Ok, I promised I would post this chapter the next day, and here it is like three days later and still not posted. I SO SORRY! **

**I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter. So I hope you enjoy. ^_^**

* * *

"Do you think he could break through..."

"...just to be sure."

"If he could break the...as well."

"...muster the energy to break both, not with..."

...

"What do you think the King..."

"He probably won't live long enough to..."

...

"I heard he took the Princess..."

"...won't let anyone..."

* * *

Natsu wasn't sure where he was, but it had to be hell. He was cold and weak, and his entire body felt like it was weighed down by metal. He couldn't open his eyes, but he knew that he was sitting up against something; a wall, maybe.

He tried opening his eyes, the action seeming to take all of his energy. He was only able to peak open one, but the small sliver of sight was more than enough for him. He was staring straight at a row of bars, which looked to be iron and planted heavily into the ground and ceiling. His legs were extended straight in front of him, his feet slanted to the side like deadweights. Rolling his head to the side, he saw that his arms were lying there uselessly, and his wrists were shackled in iron bracelets.

He attempted to lift one of them, to further inspect the shackle, but his arm wouldn't obey his command.

Natsu could keep his eye open, his head up, no longer. His chin collapsed back onto his chest, and he met the darkness once again.

* * *

"What the hell is this? You told me I was here to help another dragon-born, not some tiny, pink-haired piece of shit."

"Watch your tone, or there will be raw berries mixed into your next meal again."

"You're the devil, woman."

"Don't talk to her like that."

"Watch your mouth, _your highness._"

Natsu came to gently, awoken by this strange conversation. He couldn't identify the voices, but he knew there were two males and a female. His eyes still wouldn't open, but he could hear them coming closer.

He heard what sounded like metal breaking, the screeching, ripping sound reverberating through his body, and then the footsteps came upon him. Since his eyes wouldn't work, he took as deep of a breath as possible-

The scent that came through was the adrenaline rush he needed.

He sensed a male kneeling down next to him, and his body reacted on its own.

Natsu's left arm shot out, his hand wrapping around the neck of the male kneeling by him, the male who's scent he recognized.

His eyes shot open, a growl escaping his mouth as he stared at the black haired man who had led the soldiers to his cave, who had ripped Lucy from his arms and forced her to be taken away.

The black haired man grasped Natsu's hand, but instead of panicking, he glared back at him. Which only pissed Natsu off even more. He tightened his grip around the man's throat, determined to crush his windpipe and permanently wipe the smirk from the bastards face.

A deep laugh sounding next to him almost distracted him. "Maybe he's not as weak as he looks." Natsu's hand was suddenly removed from the bastard's neck, and Natsu lunged forward as far as he could. The man fell back out of his reach, massaging his neck and continuing to glare at him.

"Now, now. None of that. We're here to help you." Natsu looked away from his enemy and watched as a woman with long blue hair squatted down next to the man, taking out a bottle from the pocket in her dress and shaking the liquid in her hands. She began rubbing the man's neck gently, and Natsu watched as the liquid started to slightly glow a calming blue.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu's voice felt like gravel in his throat, and he imagined it sounded the same. He looked over at the other male, who was standing off to the side, his arms crossed across his chest, smiling. He was tall, with long black hair and piercing red eyes. It looked as if he had bolts implanted into his skin: along his eyebrows, both sides of his nose, his chin. Even his arms had bolts running down them. But that wasn't what had Natsu on alert. His smell was different than anything Natsu had encountered before, seeming both completely strange and completely familiar at the same time.

The woman finished her work on the man's neck, and then helped him stand. "Juvia knew you were going to be in trouble, but she had hoped she would get here before Gray did what he did. You can blame that on Gajeel." She turned her head towards the tall, red-eyed man and gave him a look of disappointment, who reacted by shrugging his shoulders.

That didn't help Natsu in the slightest, and he started to get even angrier. "What exactly do you want?"

The man he attacked, Gray, apparently, stepped forward once again. "We're here to help you get out of here."

Natsu stood up and lunged forward again, the iron on his wrists holding him back as Gray once again had to jump out of reach. "You're the reason I'm in here, you son of a bitch!" A sharp lance of pain hit his side, and Natsu collapsed on his knees. He looked down and saw that his stomach was sloppily bandaged, a thick stripe of red blood soaking through. Right, he had been stabbed, hadn't he? By that man standing just a foot away from him. He looked up to glare at Gray, whose eyes slid down to the wound and then away.

"Here, let Juvia help you." He looked over and saw the female walking towards him, shaking more of that liquid into her hands. He didn't have the energy to resist her as she kneeled next to him and removed the bandage, then started to rub her hands over his wound. It started to glow a light blue once more, and he could feel it warming his skin.

"What are you, a witch?" The pain was starting to recede, and his eyes closed in relief.

"Yes." Natsu opened his eyes to see Juvia smiling at him, her deep blue eyes sparkling with kindness and amusement.

"Oh." He watched her work on his side, the pain disappearing slightly and his strength slowly returning. After several minutes, she removed her hand and he saw that the bleeding had stopped, but his wound was still open.

"Well, Juvia did what she could. The wound is closed on the inside, so there should be no more bleeding. However, it'll take a while for your pain to completely disappear and for the wound to close all the way. You'll need help walking until then to avoid reopening it." She capped the small bottle and tucked it back into her pocket as she talked, then started to rebandage his wound with fresh cloth.

Gajeel scoffed behind them. "Screw that, I ain't helping him go anywhere. Just give him some fire; he'll be able to walk out of here on his own."

Natsu looked up at him, completely confused. "I thought you said you were here to help me."

Gray answered, still standing out of his reach, a frown on his face. "We are."

Natsu whipped his head over and glared at Gray. "Then why is he talking about setting me on fire?"

The red-eyed man scoffed again. "Good Gods, you really are an idiot." Natsu looked over and watched the man reach for the tie around his throat, and the cloak he was wearing dropped to his feet. "You smell something off about me, right?"

Before he could nod his response, Gajeel bent forward slightly, then two huge dark wings sprouted from his back, and a thick tail fell down past his feet. They were black as coal, the small spikes and the membranes a shiny silver. They fluttered menacingly behind the man before settling against his back, taking up a huge amount of space behind him.

Natsu couldn't move. He couldn't comprehend the fact that there was another just like him, standing in front of him, traveling with a witch and a prince to free him. He could only stare with his mouth wide open as the dragon man stepped forward and captured his shackled wrists, then bit down on the bracelets.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Natsu pulled his wrist back, and Gajeel walked to his other side and repeated the action. The chains fell against the floor, his wrists free of the shackles.

Gajeel swallowed the bits of iron he had in his mouth, then looked Natsu straight in the eyes. "Did you think you were the only person in the world to be cursed by a dragon? Get over yourself. In fact, pull yourself together. You've obviously been ignoring the strongest part of you, which also happens to be the part that's kept you alive this long." He crossed his arms back over his chest, then suddenly his wings starting folding into his back, disappearing from site. It looked like it took no effort at all. "You ever get exhausted from holding your wings back for any amount of time? That's because you're denying your element. It's what makes you stronger, keeps your senses sharp, but more importantly helps you fit in." He scoffed at Natsu one more time, rolling his eyes. "No wonder you're a tiny piece of shit."

Natsu let the insult roll past him, simply because he was trying to process everything Gajeel had just told him. He obviously had embraced his dragon side, and knew so much more than Natsu had ever dreamed. One thing kept echoing in his brain, however. "What do you mean, my element?"

Gajeel looked over at Juvia, who nodded and started to take out a couple more bottles from her pockets. Natsu looked over at her, noticing that Gray was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed and arms across his chest. He had been silent almost this entire time, which was good, because Natsu still had an overwhelming urge to crush his skull.

Suddenly, Juvia clapped her hands together, and a blinding light flashed around them. When Natsu opened his eyes once more, he looked down and saw something he had never seen on another person before.

She was holding fire in her hands, the blue flames licking her palm calmly. "Your element is fire. If you consume it, it will make you stronger." Juvia walked closer to him and held out her hand. When Natsu hesitated, she smiled. "You saw how Gajeel bit through your shackles, right? His element is iron. Therefore, when he consumes iron, his body strengthens, and he is able call upon and dismiss his wings and tail at will. You'll be able to do the same; you just need to trust us."

Natsu looked back down at the fire glowing in her hands. If they had wanted to kill him, they wouldn't have freed him from his shackles, or healed the wound on his side. If what they were saying was true, he would have the strength to carry himself out of here, to find Lucy. He would be able to contain his wings and tail, would be able to walk in the public with her at his side. He would be able to love her, without worrying about burning her.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu reached out and captured the fire from Juvia's hands, noting how hot the flames were even to him. He looked up at Juvia, wondering how she hadn't been burned by them.

She laughed, "Juvia's magic doesn't harm her. Now hurry, we don't have much more time."

Natsu glanced at Gray, who was watching him from the corner of his eyes, then at Gajeel, who was sliding his cloak back over his shoulders. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and swallowed the fire.

The result was instantaneous. He felt the fire as it traveled down his throat, then seemed to spread it's warmth through his body. He collapsed against the cell wall, feeling like his skin was going to burst open. He could feel his muscles strengthening, the power gathering inside of him. His wings extended fully behind him, feeling so much more a part of him than they ever had. He looked down at his side and watched the skin seam together, the wound closing perfectly and leaving a light scar behind. His vision was sharper than it ever been, and looked up at the three people staring at him.

Gajeel nodded his head at him. "Now call back your wings."

Natsu closed his eyes, and began concentrating on making his wings and tail disappear. The act usually took a great amount of energy and concentration, however, with only one thought his wings began folding into his back, his tail curling into itself and disappearing. He didn't even feel the actions.

"See? Now quit acting like a newborn and let's get out of here." Gajeel turned to walk out of the cell, and Gray and Juvia followed him.

"I'm not leaving without Lucy."

They all stopped, but Gray was the one who turned around. "We don't have enough time, Natsu."

Natsu rushed forward, pinning Gray against the wall and once again wrapping his hands around his throat. Oh, yeah. He could get used to the power he had now. "I am not leaving without her."

Gray glared at him, his hands pulling at Natsu's. "We don't know where she is."

"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?" The comment distracted Natsu enough that Gray was able to pull his hands from his neck, then push him away.

"Her father had her taken into seclusion as soon as she reached the palace. I have someone looking for her, but we haven't heard a word back, which means he hasn't located her yet. The sun will be setting any moment, which means the King will likely make his move soon. We have to get out of here. Now."

Natsu looked over at Juvia and Gajeel, who seemed to agree with Gray about leaving. Fine, he would do this alone. Like he had his entire life before meeting Lucy.

He looked each of them in the eye, his hands in fists at his sides. "Get out of here then. I told you I'm not leaving without her. I'll find her myself."

He heard Gajeel laugh. "See? I told you so."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm so sorry guys. I had a medical issue with me, then my youngest was sick for a few days, then when he got better my oldest got sick for a few days, and then I caught whatever they had. It's been a crazy week, and I've barely had enough time to write. I tried to get this done on Friday, and was no where near close. =( **

**I'll try to get the next chapter done by THIS Friday, to make up for the lack of update last week. Love you all!**

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Her father had said nothing since meeting her in here. Which was fine, because she had nothing to say, either. She didn't care that she had never been to this room before, nor did she care that she had never even seen this part of the palace, even though she had lived here and ventured through (what she thought then) the entire thing. She wasn't going to ask why she had to be escorted inside her own home, and she definitely wasn't going to ask what she was doing here. And if he thought he was going to get an apology from her, for trying to see the world that he had been barring her from her entire life, then he was sadly mistaken.

No, she wasn't going to say anything. She was content matching his glare as they stood across the room from each other.

Her father started to straighten the lapels of his jacket, never breaking eye contact. "I would ask of your well-being, but I was told you fought the whole way here."

Lucy still said nothing. He lifted his chin in her silence. "Very well. You will remain here until-"

"You will not keep me locked up in my own home; not anymore."

The King's eyes bugged, his face growing red. "How dare you presume to tell me what I will and-"

"How dare you presume to keep me locked in a cage!?"

"I am the King!"

"And I am a human being, who-"

"You are nothing! You are property, to be sold to the highest bidder! Property that has now been tainted, and tarnished! Property that I cannot even try to give away!"

Lucy stared open-mouthed at her father. Words failed to form inside her head. Property? That is what she has been this entire time? And now she's tainted...tarnished?

Her father looked her up and down, his eyes more cruel than she had ever seen them before. "A Princess who was captured by a dragon-born. With whom she wanted to stay with. Who would want you as a Queen to an entire country?"

Lucy held back the tears in her eyes, "Maybe I've never wanted to be Queen."

Her father turned his back on her and started walking towards the door. "Then it looks as if you're to get your wish." He reached the door, but before he grabbed the handle, he turned his head to look at her. "If you had been born a male, things could have been different between us."

The already open wound inside Lucy's chest tore open a little further, and she collapsed onto the floor. The only thought left in her mind escaped her lips in a whisper before her father was able to open the door. "What will happen to Natsu?"

Her father unlatched the door and stood in the opening, his back still facing her. "The dragon-born will be of no concern to you from now on." Lucy looked up to watch him step outside of the room, and he turned his cruel eyes on her one more time. "Actually, he will soon be of no concern to _anyone_."

Her legs suddenly gained the strength to help her stand, and she rushed at the door as it was closed. "You can't do this! He's innocent!" A lock meeting its home sounded throughout the room, and disbelief tore through her already emotionally battered body. "Let me out! You can't do this!"

Her fists banged against the heavy door, but although her hands started to tear and bruise, it wouldn't budge. She screamed until her throat was coarse and her lungs were aching, but the sounds only echoed back at her.

Tears had worn paths down her cheeks by the time the sun had set, and Lucy was collapsed against the door. Her hands lay at her sides, raw and bruised. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her head resting against the wood of the door at an angle as she stared out of the window on the other side of the room.

She watched the reds and oranges burn out of the sky and get smoldered by the blues and blacks. Hours had passed since she had been brought back to this hell, and there had been no noises outside of the door she was trapped behind. She couldn't keep a thought in her head for long, but when one passed through her head, it was always the same one.

What happened to Natsu?

Did he escape the guards who had barged into his cave to find her? Obviously not, if she was going by what her father said. Was he led down the mountain in chains? He was the strongest person she had ever known of. He wouldn't have gotten taken easily.

What if he let them take him? What if he thought he could get back to her if they took him prisoner? What if now he was stuck, getting ready to be executed by her father?

Tears she didn't know she had left formed in her eyes, and Lucy closed them quickly. There was no way he would let them kill him, not without taking out so many people and destroying everything around him. The fires he let out inside that cave weren't hot to her, but she could smell the hair burning off of the soldiers that they were aimed for. If they were going to try to kill him, he wouldn't make it easy. He would fight.

He would fight.

He would fight...

Lucy looked down at her hands. They were bruised and sore, but as she flexed them and tightened them into fists, she realized they still worked just fine. Natsu would never make it easy for anyone to hold him against his will. He probably is making hell right now, as she is just sitting here, crying herself into a stupor, and damning her father. He would fight, to be free, to find her again. And she knew he would want to find her again, because you don't fight that hard to keep from losing something just to give up when it is taken. He would fight until the very end.

And so would she.

Lucy looked up, a new strength flowing through her body. The room was basically bare, nothing but an overstuffed chair, a side table and an ornate bookcase with a few books filling its shelves. There was nothing she could readily use as a weapon, but there could be something to improvise with. She stood, her legs a little shaky from not being used in hours, and made her way to the side table. Quietly, she opened the small drawer and began to rummage inside, hoping to find a knitting needle, a sewing pin, _anything _even remotely sharp. What she found, however, was a handkerchief and a handheld mirror. Nothing that had rolled all the way to the back, nothing that had fallen between the seams.

Lucy picked up the mirror, avoiding her reflection. The thing felt heavy, like brass, and the handle tapered off into a blunt point. She couldn't use it as a knife, but the mirror itself could be heavy enough to at least stun someone. Adrenaline running through her, she shut the drawer and looked around once more. Her incessant banging on the door did nothing, so going back that route would be futile. But she knew her father wouldn't leave her alone. There had to be at least one guard standing by the door, making sure no one got in or out. The trick would be creating a noise inside that would tempt them to check on her.

Her eyes immediately went to the windows. As quick as the thought went into her head, Lucy went into action. She opened the drawer once more and grabbed the handkerchief, then wrapped it around her hand. Gripping the mirror with the covered hand, she ran to the window, and drew back her arm. One deep breath, and then she slammed, using more force than she did when her and Natsu were sparring.

The glass shattered, showering it's shards over her and onto the floor.

"The Princess!"

She stared at the door for a second, and then ran to the wall by it. She could hear the men outside fumbling with the lock, and then the handle twitched. As the door was swung open, she gasped quietly. It worked.

The guards hurriedly stepped inside, their eyes immediately fixating on the broken window across from them. They didn't see her standing behind the doors, and she took her chance.

She lifted the heavy mirror high above her head, then jumped forward and brought it down with as much strength as she could muster. The mirror hit the guard on the top of his head, and he grunted as the force of the heavy object took him to his knees. The other guard spun around, first looking to his comrade, then to her. Lucy acted without thinking once again, hoping her instincts would help her, and drew the mirror back once more. As the guard took another step towards her, she swung the mirror like she would a bat, and it connected with the guards face perfectly. The glass shards shattered across his face, and his eyes rolled back into his head as the brass connected with his temple.

Lucy had just enough time to take a deep breath as the soldier fell, before the other took to his feet and turned towards her. His face was in complete shock, "Princess, what are you doing!?"

She drew the mirror back once more, and as the guard watched her action, he went to the weapons on his waist. Lucy quickly swung the mirror towards him, but the guard was too quick. He met her with his dagger before she could make contact, the hilt of his weapon stopping hers. A new wave of adrenaline rushed through her, and she spun around him, disconnecting their two weapons. As she met his back, she swung the mirror forward, her momentum helping the force of her swing. The guard turned his head at just the right time, and the heavy brass hit its target once again. The second guard fell to the ground at her feet.

Lucy stared at what she had done, at the broken glass and fallen men at her feet. She could see their chests still rising with their breath, and perhaps that was the only reason she was not freaking out right now. But she had done it; she had gained her freedom. Well, at least from this room. She smiled to herself, _Well, how about that Natsu? I'm fighting too. _

Her victory was short lived, however, as she thought about how much time she didn't have. She was sure that she had been secluded into a deserted part of the palace, but someone could come at any time to relieve the two men of their posts, or to tell them of any news that had happened. She also couldn't afford to waste anymore time when she didn't know what was happening to Natsu. Had he escaped yet? Was he trying to find her now? Or had they subdued him?

Lucy stepped over one of the guards and made her way to the opened door. Peaking out into the hallway, she saw that they were indeed alone. The hall was long, continuing on for at least a hundred feet before twisting off into darkness. There were no lanterns to light the corridor, no curtains on the windows, no benches in the halls. The only light she could see by was the moon as it shone through the windows, and wasn't that just perfect. She stepped out into the hall, ready to make the long journey into, what she hoped, was the main part of the palace, but a couple of feet into her journey, she heard soft footsteps coming straight for her. Lucy drew the mirror to her chest, then turned around. The room she had been in was at the very end of the hall, and there was no way out except through the path of whoever was coming to check on her.

The only option she had was to wait back inside the room and hope to the Gods that she could take on this new obstacle, so she turned and ran back. She took up her post just inside the doorway, held the mirror tight against her, and waited. She could hear the footsteps coming towards the room, but they stopped short of the open door. She held her breath, hoping the person would step inside to see what had happened, and not take off to gather reinforcements.

The footsteps came closer, slowly, and then Lucy saw a leg come into her line of sight. As quickly as she could, she drew the mirror back and launched herself forward, using her momentum to swing herself around and aim for where the head should be.

"Whoa!" A deep voice sounded off in the darkness. The mirror missed its target and bounced off the door frame, sending violent vibrations through her hands. She shook off the pain, and twisted around to swing at the man once more. Her weapon was caught mid swing, and she felt it being jerked from her hands, then heard as it was thrown to the floor. "Stop!"

She felt strong hands grasp her shoulders, and then she was forced into the chest of the man. Her breath was forced from her lungs at the impact, but she knew better than to let it slow her down. Once again using the knowledge she had gained from Natsu, she shifted her arms into her chest, made a fist, and then thrust it up as hard as she could. She felt, and heard, the impact, the sound of teeth clashing together as loud as an explosion, and the hands fell off her shoulders. She then took her hands and pushed against his chest as hard as she could, but she didn't wait around to see him fall. As soon as her own hands left his body, she turned and ran.

She didn't make it far. A strong grip on her arm forced her to stop, almost tripping onto her face. "Lucy! Wait!"

As she held herself off the floor, she realized the voice behind her was one she had only heard this morning. Lucy turned around, seeing her target for the first time. Orange hair framed a handsome face, one that was squinted in pain and as far from her as he could get it. "Please don't hit me again."

She gasped, suddenly feeling out of breath. "You..." This was the man who had ridden with her down the mountain, who had tried to help her as she kept fighting him. He had even tried to stay with her when her father had ordered her in the palace, and his concerned face was the last thing she saw before the doors closed behind her. He had...come for her?

A small smile appeared on his face as he realized she wasn't going to fight him anymore. "Yeah, it's me." He held out his other hand to help her stand, and she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet as she stared at him, trying to make sense of this. He let go of her and rubbed his jaw, laughing slightly. "You have a mean right hook, Princess. I was seeing stars for a second there."

"What are you doing here?"

The man looked back towards the room she had been kept in. "Well, I was just trying to find you. But then I heard a couple guards saying that they had just been relieved from watching over you, and I just started walking towards where they had come from. I ended up here. I should have reported back, but I wanted to see what we would be up against, and then as I got closer, I saw that...well...you had taken care of everything."

Lucy stared up at him, confused. "Report back? To who?"

The man looked back down at her and smiled. "To Gray. We've been trying to find you all evening. Oh, I'm Loke, by the way." He bowed in front of her, but before she could say anything else, he straightened and grabbed her hand. "I'll tell you whatever else you want to know, but right now, we need to get out of this wing. Just follow me, alright?"

Lucy stared at Loke for a couple more seconds, then nodded her head. She let him lead her down the long hallway, both of them walking briskly and quietly. Gray had sent him to find her. Why? Did he feel guilty for coming to take her like that? There were so many things she needed to know from Loke, but she knew her silence was more important right now.

If only they could make it through this hallway, she would be that much closer to learning what had happened with Natsu. They reached the end of the hallway, and as they turned through the twisting corners, they were stopped by a blockade of bodies.

"Did you honestly think I would not notice a rat sneaking through my home?"

Loke tightened his grip on Lucy's hand, and she stared up into her father's cruel eyes once more.

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**It has been a couple chapters since I left off with a cliffhanger. I'm kind of mean...**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello there, lovelies. Sorry for the delayed update, but this chapter took a little bit more planning than I originally thought. **

**Also, I might as well get this news over with, but we are nearing the end of the story. Don't worry! I am going to wrap everything up beautifully, and I promise you won't be disappointed, BUT, this was never meant to be a long one. Just a little spurt of imagination that come up on me from looking at ONE picture. Don't fret, there are still about 5+ chapters left, I just wanted to go ahead and let you all know.**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

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The sun had set, and the palace was quiet. There were no lanterns lighting the halls, no candelabras shining bright in any rooms. There wasn't a servant to be seen, either, and it was starting to make Natsu and Gajeel very nervous. The two had split up from Gray and Juvia, who had went another route to seek out Gray's personal attendant/best friend. Natsu and Gajeel were left to sneak across the courtyard, away from the prison that had held Natsu, and find a deserted door or window to climb into the main palace.

The two of them had been prepared to stay slinking in the shadows, even incapacitate a few of the guard, but as they entered the open spaces separating the two buildings, neither one of them could hear or smell another human. They chalked it up to dumb luck, keeping to the shadows while they found an entrance to the palace; but now, as they continued walking through the deserted halls, they were both on edge. It was entirely too quiet, too empty, considering the events of the day. Something was happening, or was going to happen, and the nervous energy pouring from the both of them had Natsu wound up. If there was ever a question as to why he had to find Lucy, then this eerie calm was the answer: the King was up to something.

"Oy." Natsu turned his head towards the deep-voiced whisper. Gajeel was scanning the room they were passing, coming up with the same result as all the other rooms: empty. "Think we should make some noise, bring them to us?"

The same question had gone through Natsu's mind, but he was certain in his answer. "No. The longer we can stay inconspicuous, the better."

A mocking grunt sounded to his right. "That your life motto or something?"

"It's worked for the last 19 years."

"Obviously."

Natsu ignored the dragon-born, continuing to scout the scene ahead of them. Lucy's scent was all over the palace, but the strongest smell was coming from somewhere up ahead. They had been following that path, staying in the shadows until recently, when they realized they were the only ones here.

"Just sayin, we could probably find out more about where they're keeping her if we bring them to us. At the very least, we could torture for information."

"I don't think we're going to run into anyone regardless of how much noise we make."

Gajeel laughed. "Bullshit. A couple of torn down walls and shattered windows will get that bastard King's attention. No matter what he's up to, I doubt he's gonna let a couple dragons tear down his place."

"The Royal Guard is tougher than you think."

Another laugh. "For you, maybe."

"A handful of them were able to take Lucy away and subdue me. The two of us wouldn't last against the entire force."

"Fuck you, flame brain; you've never seen me fight before."

Natsu opened his mouth to tell the metal head to shut up, but as he drew in the breath, he was caught off guard. "Wait." He stopped, looking around into the rooms next to them. Gajeel stilled, turning sideways to watch him. Natsu took another deep breath. "Her scent. It's getting stronger." Gajeel lifted his nose in the air and took a deep breath. Natsu did the same, and they both looked to the room in the northwest together.

Without another word, they started walking towards the open door, staying close to the walls. Natsu reached the door first, and he took another deep breath. Her scent was overwhelming, coating everything and seeping into the hallway. But there was something he couldn't place as well; it reminded him of...nothing. He looked back to Gajeel, who had the same look of frustrated confusion, and then he swiftly moved inside the room.

The two of them rushed into it, standing back to back in the center. They had obviously found her room: a canopy bed lay against the wall by the window, a dresser adorned with so much jewelry across from it. A plush sitting chair sat facing a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, a writing desk or vanity just beside it. Everything in the room was stained with Lucy's scent, but there was no one here.

Gajeel sighed, turning around to face Natsu. "Well, that was a waste. What the hell do we do now?"

"I'm afraid the answer to that question won't be so simple."

The two dragon-borns whipped around simultaneously to face the open door. Standing within the shadows of the frame was a small old man, his hands clasped behind his back, a long wooden staff held upright behind him.

* * *

"Do you know where you're going, Gray?"

"No. But I think that's the best direction to go. He wouldn't hide her away somewhere that would be easy to find."

The two of them had been searching the outer wing of the palace for what seemed like hours, but there was still no sign of Lucy or Loke. Neither of them had the over stimulated sense of smell like the two dragon-borns they had split up with, so they were going on pure luck. Which apparently had run out a long time ago.

The hallway they had been walking for a while now was straight, with no turns in sight. The walls were bare, the windows had no curtains, and there wasn't even a bench to break up the distance of the hall. Even more curious: there were no rooms. Gray was starting to get an overwhelming feeling that they were heading towards where they needed to go, but that feeling was wrapped with dread.

"Gray, Juvia has noticed...we haven't seen another person since before we rescued Natsu."

He kept staring straight ahead. "I know. Something is going on." If the two dragon-borns had been caught, then most of the Royal Guard would be with them, trying to subdue them. But the King wouldn't leave the Lucy unguarded. They should have seen someone by now, even if it was just a servant.

"Wait." Juvia grasped Gray's arm, stopping him mid-step. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted just a little to the right. Gray was stock-still and quiet; she may not have extra hearing or smelling abilities, but she was attuned and sensitive to the auras of the people she was closest to, people like Gray...and Loke.

She gasped, opening her eyes and staring straight at Gray. "We have to hurry!" Juvia grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, leading him further down the seemingly endless hall. They ran, and soon the hall started to curve. The feeling of dread started to push down on Gray even harder, and he released Juvia's hand and ran faster. He made it to the curve, took the turn way too fast...and almost tripped over a body.

Gray stopped himself just in time. He skidded to his knees and leaned over the body of the man that was sitting against the wall, legs splayed out in front of him, hands resting against his stomach. He reached out and grabbed the other mans shoulder, trying to look past the mane of orange hair and into the eyes of his best friend.

A small intake of breath was the only thing that saved Gray from a complete meltdown.

"This has got to be the stupidest shit you have ever pulled me into." Loke's voice was raspy, but his confidence was still there, and it gave Gray more hope than he thought he needed.

"Not true. Remember that time in Alcalypha?"

Loke gave a small laugh. "Oh yeah. That was definitely the stupidest."

"We don't discuss that adventure, remember?" Gray looked up to Juvia, who had kneeled down on Loke's other side. She started taking one of her alchemists bottles from her pocket, and Gray recognized the symbol etched into the glass as the same one she had used on him earlier; a dragon-born from the colony Gajeel lived named Wendy had given her a few of her scales, which made an incomparable healing potion.

Loke looked up at her, sighing. "Juvia, I've never been so happy to see you."

Juvia smiled at his friend, then started her magic. "Juvia never gets tired of hearing that."

Loke laughed. "I'll be sure to say it more often, then."

Gray watched the love of his life start to heal his best friend, and the range of emotions soaring through him almost became too much. Sorrow, rage, contempt, worry, regret; they all battled inside him for first place. After a moment, he looked to his blue-haired lover. "Is he going to be alright?"

Juvia looked up at him, her face calm. "Yes. It seems to be only bruising, a couple broken bones, including a rib or two."

Loke took a deep breath of relief. "Yeah, they were only going for hurt, not dead. Just to send a message, I'm sure." He looked back up at Gray, his eyes serious. "You need to go, Gray. He's taking her to the gardens in the back. He means to draw out the dragon-born...to ambush and kill him. In front of Lucy. He's snapped, and I don't know what he plans to do to her, but if he's going to kill his daughters first love, or whatever he is, in front of her, then she's nowhere near safe."

Gray stared at his friend, shocked and speechless. The King has gone mad, and Lucy might be killed as a result. Not to mention Natsu...

He looked back at Juvia, who nodded her head in reassurance. She would take care of Loke, and he knew better than to be worried about her being found by the Guard. There was a reason she lived in the dragon-born colony, and it wasn't only because she was a witch; she had a fierce temper, and her battle skills matched most of the dragon-borns she lived amongst. Gray leaned forward and smashed his mouth against hers, the swift kiss the only pre-battle pep talk he needed. He broke apart from her, and turned towards Loke.

"Whoa, now. You lean down towards me and I'll break that pretty little nose of yours." Gray laughed at his friend's ability to still be carefree.

"Don't lie, you've thought about it."

Loke smiled. "Just tell me I'm still pretty, and I'll be happy."

Gray stood up and began walking away from them. "You've always been pretty, Loke." He heard a light chuckle behind him, and then he took off at a run, back down the hallway and towards the main palace. The Gods could only hope that Natsu and Gajeel were still alright, because it was going to take all three of them to save the Princess from her father now.

* * *

"Who the hell are you? And why the hell can't I smell you?" Gajeel was the first to speak, the two of them facing the small shadow of a man blocking their only exit. He was right: Natsu couldn't smell him either. It was like there was nothing there; no air, no earth, no life whatsoever. _Nothing. _

The man lifted his head to stare at the tall dragon-born. "There's a reason why dragon slayers are born, and not made."

The statement sent a shiver down Natsu's spine. _He's a dragon slayer. _

"So what, dragon slayers are born without an identifying scent?" Natsu couldn't help but roll his eyes at Gajeel, who was obviously distracted and angry about not being able to sense the man coming up on them.

"That doesn't matter, Gajeel!" He turned back to the shadow, "Where is Lucy!?"

The small old man began to take a few steps towards them, and the pair braced themselves. "She is not here, in her room-"

Gajeel grunted, "No shit, old man."

He paid no attention to the tall dragon-born, his eyes fixed on Natsu. "-where she should be. Where she should have been for the last few days."

_What?_ Confused, and becoming more furious by the second, Natsu lunged. If the man wasn't going to give any answers, then he wasn't going to waste any more time here. His intent was to knock the old man down, then continue running out the open door to find a new lead on Lucy's scent, but his plan was quickly foiled.

The old man was fast, and stepped out of the way at the perfect time. He caught Natsu by the arm and spun, his little size giving away no hint of the strength he actually had as he flung Natsu back inside the room and against the wall. As he made impact, he watched as Gajeel lunged himself forward as well, only to be knocked back in the same fashion, this time with the long wooden staff.

Natsu caught his breath, eyes burning towards the man. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I saved her from a group of men trying to hurt her."

The small dragon slayer fixed his stance, his arms behind his back once more, his confidence mocking the two of them. "Yes. And then you kidnapped her. You weren't content with just saving her and letting her be, you had to have what you thought was yours, regardless of the consequences."

Gajeel was the first to stand, and he made his way over to Natsu. The two of them stood side by side, their energies syncing for the apparent fight ahead of them. The old man didn't move a muscle as the two braced themselves again.

Without a word, they both moved at the same time, Natsu to the left, Gajeel to the right. Gajeel jumped high, extending his wings to help his momentum as he prepared to attack from above, and Natsu ducked low. The dual attack was all for naught, however; the old man was much more swift than they had planned. With seemingly no effort, the dragon slayer jumped away from Natsu's hands at the last second, swinging the staff down into the middle of his back. In the same action, he reached up and grasped the collar of Gajeel's shirt, forcing him to fall out of the air. A single flick of his wrist was all it took to fling the dragon-born back across the room, and he landed on his back, his head bouncing off the wall.

A quick breath later, Natsu heard a sword being unsheathed, and looked up to find the wooden staff split in two: one blunt end still jammed into the center of his back, another extremely sharp end inches away from his face. Seething with anger, Natsu moved his eyes to stare up at the man, who was still calm and collected.

He heard Gajeel groan behind him. "We're dragons, old man. We always get what we want."

The dragon slayer grunted. "The stubbornness of you two comes more from your fathers than it does from the dragons who cursed you."

The air itself seemed to freeze around the three of them. Shock ran through Natsu's veins, and his mind starting racing. "What did you just say?"

The man took the staff from Natsu's back, and air he didn't realize he was missing shot back into his lungs. The man stepped away, keeping the sword pointed towards him as a precaution. "I was there the day their lives as dragon slayers were ruined. Two separate occasions, two equally devastating events." Apparently sensing that he had the two of them beaten, and no longer felt the need to fight, the man sheathed his sword and returned to his previous stance. Gajeel was sitting up, his back against the wall, stunned into the same silence as Natsu. "Regardless, there is no reason present as to why I should let you continue on your journey to find the Princess. She is no better off with you than she is with her father. Even in his current state."

Natsu started to stand, his body more battered than he thought. The old dragon slayer obviously knew what he was doing; he barely touched the two of them and yet they were both out of breath and sore. "You're wrong. I could protect her. She would always be safe with me."

"Safe? You don't even understand what you are, let alone how to control yourself."

"She would be better off with me than inside of this prison her father has kept her in!"

The old man sighed. "She would be going from one prison to another. Yes, she would be free of the palace, but what kind of freedom would she have by constantly living in the shadows with you?"

Natsu stared at him, desperation starting to take over his anger. "There's a colony up north, we could-"

"The dragon-borns would tear you apart for bringing a human to live amongst them. Face it, son of Igneel. You may have the best intentions for her, but in your current state, you nothing but danger."

Natsu could do nothing but stare at the old man as the truth hit him like an avalanche of rocks. Behind him, Gajeel was just as quiet, and that only gave more truth behind the words. Natsu had no idea how to control his dragon side; he didn't even know that consuming his element, fire, would make him stronger, would help him hide away his wings and tail. He had been hiding in the shadows, away from humanity, his whole life, and it was cruel to ask someone he was starting to love to share in that lifestyle.

The dragon slayer sighed, then started to walk towards the windows at the back of the room. Natsu let him pass, content to stare straight ahead. "The King needs to be stopped. But I wanted to make sure you knew what exactly you were doing to her. He took her to the gardens, back here by the lake." Natsu snapped around, then rushed to the window and followed the direction the dragon slayer was giving. He could see a wide open space before the large body of water, a couple miles past the palace. Inside of it, directly in the middle, were two people: one tall and dark headed, the other small and blonde.

"Take warning: he means to ambush you. The two of you need to go together, and you need to work together." The old man walked over to Gajeel, extending his hand. Gajeel stared at it for a second, then allowed himself to be pulled up. As soon as he was on his feet, however, the dragon slayer pulled back a fist and punched Gajeel, directly in the gut.

"Oy! What the hell was that for!?"

"Payback for something your father did to me many years ago. Now go." He dismissed the two of them, reclaiming his post in front of the window, and Natsu spared no time in taking off, sprinting out of the room and back down the hallway they came.

Everything the old man had said played on repeat in Natsu's mind, but he couldn't let the heavy truth interfere with what had to be done first.

Lucy was in danger, and he was going to make sure everyone, _everyone_, responsible paid for it.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the pretty little banter from all of them. Figured some light humor was needed in the face of the darkness that is the King.**

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